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Date stated in the original: 11 May 2016. Review note: 6 November 2026.

The text of the original article

Bulgaria: economic growth in 2016 — image from the original website

Bulgaria's economic growth is expected to be 2.3% in 2016, down from 3.0% last year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Growth of 2.3% was also forecast for 2017 in the IMF's latest report on regional economic issues for Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE).

The IMF forecast is more optimistic than the European Commission’s spring forecast, which projected growth of 2.0% for Bulgaria in 2016.

Private consumption is expected to be the main driver of growth in Bulgaria, with growth forecast at 2.5% in each of 2016 and 2017 — a sharp acceleration from last year's 0.8% increase.

Bulgaria's export growth is expected to slow to 4.1% in 2016 from 7.6% last year, before picking up slightly to 4.2% in 2017.

Average consumer price inflation is expected to accelerate to 0.2% in 2016 and 1.2% in 2017, compared with deflation of 1.1% last year.

Bulgaria’s public debt-to-GDP ratio on a cash basis is expected to rise gradually from 26.9% last year to 30.2% in 2016 and 30.6% next year.

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