IMF raises Bulgaria’s GDP growth projections for 2025 and 2026
In its October 2025 World Economic Outlook report, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its projections for Bulgaria’s GDP growth in 2025 and 2026 compared with its projections in its April report.
The IMF now sees GDP growth in Bulgaria in 2025 at three per cent, compared with a projection in April of 2.5 per cent, and 3.1 per cent in 2026, compared with a projection in April of 2.7 per cent.
The IMF’s October report sees Bulgaria’s CPI coming in at 3.6 per cent in 2025 on an annual basis, compared with its April projection of 3.7 per cent, and 3.4 per cent in 2026, compared with its April projection of 2.3 per cent.
Unemployment is seen as 3.5 per cent in 2025, dropping to 3.4 per cent in 2026. In April, the IMF projected unemployment in Bulgaria at 4.1 per cent in both years.
The IMF is the latest significant institution to raise its economic growth forecast for Bulgaria, after the World Bank did so on October 7 and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) did so on September 25.
In each case, compared with these institutions’ previous reports, their new forecasts followed the July decision by European Union finance ministers agreeing to Bulgaria adopting the euro as its currency as of January 1 2026.
In July, S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings both raised Bulgaria’s long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings following the decision on Bulgaria joining the euro.
