Bulgaria’s annual inflation rate rose to 7.0% in May 2026, up from 6.8% in April, according to preliminary estimates. This was the highest rate since August 2023, driven mainly by faster price increases in transportation (22.1% vs 18.5% in April), as the ongoing war in the Middle East continued to disrupt oil supplies. Prices also accelerated for alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics (7.7% vs 7.4%), housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (5.2% vs 4.7%), as well as for restaurants and accommodation services (9.4% vs 9.3%).
At the same time, inflation for recreation, sport and culture remained high at 15.8%, though it eased from 17.0% in April. By contrast, price growth slowed for food and non-alcoholic beverages (4.9% vs 5.3%) and for furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance (0.9% vs 1.2%). Clothing and footwear prices declined, falling by 0.4% after remaining flat in the previous month (0.0%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.2%, a sharp slowdown from the 1.8% increase recorded in April.
