Foreign direct investment in Bulgaria in 2021 stood at EUR 1.04 billion, the equivalent of 1.5 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), statistics from the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) showed on 17 February.
In 2020, FDI was EUR 2.27 billion, but the original amount reported by BNB last year was EUR 561.7 million, which was revised upward later.
Investment in equity, including in the real estate sector, recorded an outflow of EUR 90.6 million (compared to an inflow of EUR 351.6 million in 2020) and re-invested earnings amounted to EUR 1.59 million (up from EUR 738.4 million a year earlier), according to preliminary data.
Net receipts from real estate investments by foreign entities showed an outflow of EUR 7.7 million, compared to an outflow of EUR 1.3 million in 2020.
The Central Bank data showed EUR 461.3 million in investment outflows as debt instruments, recorded as the change in the net liabilities of Bulgarian companies towards their foreign investor owners, compared to an inflow of EUR 1.18 billion a year earlier. Such financial flows include financial loans, suppliers’ credits and debt securities, BNB said.
By country, the largest direct investment in Bulgaria in 2021 came from Luxembourg (EUR 454.5 million), Germany (EUR 284.8 million) and Austria (EUR 213.4 million). Notable net outflows were recorded towards Russia (EUR -343.6 million) and Switzerland (EUR -143.7 million).
According to preliminary figures, Bulgarian investment abroad increased by EUR 179.3 million in 2021, compared to EUR 156.3 million in 2020, BNB said.