site.btaUPDATED Small Consumer Basket Costs EUR 61.51 in May

In May, the value of the small consumer basket is EUR 61.51, up by 0.8% from EUR 61.05 in April, according to price monitoring data of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB). The results were presented on Thursday by Violeta Ivanova, Deputy Director of the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research and Training with CITUB.

The most noticeable price increases were recorded for lemons (+4%) and apples (+1.4%). There were also increases in the price of Dobruja bread (+2.8%), sunflower oil (+1%), and flour (+0.9%). A decrease was observed in the price per kilogramme of tomatoes (-1.2%) and cucumbers (-0.6%).

Prices in the small consumer basket have increased by 8.3% compared with June 2025 and by 6% compared with December 2025.

The markup on products in retail trade ranges between 18.6% and 79.5%. Significant regional differences in the prices of staple goods also persist, according to CITUB data.

According to CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov, the markup on certain goods is inexplicable. “The market is clearly not functioning properly if it generates such markups,” he commented. He added that regional price differences for certain goods, such as poultry meat, are also difficult to understand.

CITUB reports that the difference between the highest price of poultry meat (in Plovdiv) and the lowest (in Pazardzhik) is EUR 1.27. Another example cited by the Conferederation is the price per kilogram of pork leg - in Gabrovo it is EUR 7.69, while in Lovech it stands at EUR 5.65.

Due to the rising prices, CITUB proposes introducing a food subsidy equal to the value of a small consumer basket for people with incomes up to the 2026 poverty line. The Confederation also calls for a 20% cap on markups for food items in the small consumer basket. Similar measures have been implemented in some European countries such as Croatia, Romania, and Hungary, CITUB noted. Another demand is to ensure that the current base rate for household electricity, set by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission at EUR 71.60 per WMh, remains unchanged.