Bulgaria’s annual inflation rate increased to 5.7% in September 2026, up from 5.1% in August and slightly above the preliminary estimate of 5.6%, reaching its highest level in four months. The acceleration was mainly driven by faster price growth in several categories: transport (25.9% vs 21.5% in August), food and non-alcoholic beverages (1.6% vs 0.8%), housing and utilities (5.4% vs 5.1%), information and communication (1.6% vs 1.5%), and recreation, sport, and culture (8.5% vs 7.6%).
By contrast, price increases slowed in health (3.1% vs 3.3%), education (7.7% vs 9.1%), restaurants and accommodation services (9.5% vs 9.6%), and personal care, social protection, and miscellaneous goods and services (5.2% vs 5.6%). Prices fell in the category of furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance (-0.5% vs 0.3%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices declined by 0.2% in September, following a 0.6% rise in August.
