Real interest rate in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Real interest rate was -3.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Real interest rate in Bulgaria, 1992–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for real interest rate in Bulgaria is -3.0%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 18.8% on the previous year and down 167.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real interest rate in Bulgaria peaked at 140.0% in 1996 and was at its lowest, -69.1%, in 1997.
That places Bulgaria 134th out of 148 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.7% | -69.1% | 140.0% | 8 |
| 2000s | 3.6% | -0.9% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.7% | -0.7% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | -3.7% | -10.5% | -0.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More financial sector data for Bulgaria
- Domestic credit to private sector 47.1% (2024)
- Net domestic credit 58.79 billion current LCU (2024)
- Total reserves in months of imports 7.16 (2025)
- Net foreign assets 46.19 billion current LCU (2024)
- Domestic credit to private sector by banks 47.0% (2024)
- Claims on central government, etc. 3.9% (2024)
- Monetary Sector credit to private sector 47.1% (2024)
- Broad money 82.1% (2024)
- Official exchange rate 1.74 LCU per US$, period average (2025)
- Net migration -2,961 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is real interest rate in Bulgaria?
- Real interest rate in Bulgaria was -3.0% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest real interest rate recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 140.0% in 1996.
- What is the lowest real interest rate recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was -69.1% in 1997.
- How does Bulgaria rank for real interest rate?
- Bulgaria ranks 134th out of 148 countries with data for 2025.
- Is real interest rate rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 167.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Real interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
An interest rate is the amount charged, expressed as a percentage of the principal over a period of time, by the owners of certain kinds of financial assets for putting the financial assets at the disposal of another institutional unit. The real interest rate is the lending interest rate adjusted for inflation as measured by the GDP deflator. The terms and conditions attached to lending rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.