site.btaBulgaria Has EU’s Fifth-Highest Annual Economic and Employment Growth in July-September

Bulgaria recorded a 3.2% increase in GDP year-on-year in the third quarter, according to final seasonally adjusted data from Eurostat published on Friday. This places the country fifth among European Union (EU) member states for which data are available. The figures are in line with the agency’s earlier forecasts released in October. The highest annual growth was recorded in Ireland (10.9%), followed by Denmark (3.9%), Poland (3.8%), and Cyprus (3.6%). Only Finland reported negative annual growth (-0.6%).

Quarter-on-quarter, Bulgaria’s GDP increased by 0.7% in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the April–June period. This places the country ninth among EU member states, behind the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Slovenia (all with 0.8% growth).

In the second quarter of 2025, Bulgaria’s GDP increased by 0.9% compared to the previous three months.

The economies of the European Union and the euro area accelerated their growth in the third quarter of 2025, Eurostat’s final data show.

Seasonally adjusted GDP in the EU increased by 0.4% for the July–September period, following a 0.2% rise in the second quarter. In the euro area, growth was 0.3%, compared to 0.1% in the previous period.

The revision of the October flash estimate is upward. At that time, Eurostat reported growth of 0.3% for the EU and 0.2% for the euro area.

Year-on-year, GDP grew by 1.6% in the EU and by 1.4% in the euro area. In the second quarter, the increases had been 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively.