Interest payments (% of expense) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Interest payments (% of expense) was 1.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Interest payments in Bulgaria, 1990–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
The most recent figure for interest payments in Bulgaria is 1.3%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 39.8% on the previous year and down 41.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest payments in Bulgaria peaked at 48.8% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2022.
Bulgaria ranks 137th of 152 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Interest payments (% of expense) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 9.8% | — |
| 1991 | 16.4% | +66.9% |
| 1992 | 17.5% | +6.6% |
| 1993 | 22.3% | +27.8% |
| 1994 | 33.3% | +48.8% |
| 1995 | 34.7% | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 48.8% | +40.7% |
| 1997 | 24.7% | -49.4% |
| 1998 | 11.9% | -52.0% |
| 1999 | 10.2% | -13.9% |
| 2000 | 11.9% | +16.1% |
| 2001 | 12.2% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 6.6% | -46.4% |
| 2003 | 6.2% | -5.3% |
| 2004 | 5.4% | -13.5% |
| 2005 | 4.9% | -8.7% |
| 2006 | 4.3% | -12.0% |
| 2007 | 3.4% | -22.1% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -23.6% |
| 2009 | 2.1% | -19.3% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 2.3% | +7.4% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | +8.8% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | -10.0% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | +19.0% |
| 2016 | 2.7% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 2.4% | -8.3% |
| 2018 | 1.9% | -21.5% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | -16.0% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | -14.7% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | -12.7% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -22.0% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | +39.8% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 1.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 3.3%, 40% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 1.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.3%, 39% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.0% | 9.8% | 48.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.9% | 2.1% | 12.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 1.6% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More public sector data for Bulgaria
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
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- Arms imports 540.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.464 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2022)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2022)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is interest payments in Bulgaria?
- Interest payments in Bulgaria was 1.3% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest payments recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 48.8% in 1996.
- What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2022.
- How does Bulgaria rank for interest payments?
- Bulgaria ranks 137th out of 152 countries with data for 2023.
- Is interest payments rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Interest payments (% of expense). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Interest payments include interest payments on government debt (including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments) to domestic and foreign residents. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.