site.btaBulgaria Ranks Fifth in COFACE's Top 500 Companies in CE Europe

Bulgaria has secured fifth place among Central and Eastern European countries by number of leading companies, with 27 firms included in the latest regional ranking of Coface for companies in Central and Eastern Europe. That is one more than the previous year, with which Bulgaria surpassed Slovakia, according to data cited by the global credit insurance and risk management company on its website.

"Most of Bulgaria’s largest companies have maintained their positions in the annual ranking, despite a slowdown in industrial production," said Plamen Dimitrov, Managing Director of Coface Bulgaria. He noted that Bulgaria’s GDP growth continues to be driven by wage increases and household consumption. Newly listed firms are mainly in retail, logistics, and distribution, taking advantage of stronger domestic demand. Dimitrov warned, however, that reliance on consumption-led growth and the continued decline in foreign investment, production, and exports pose a greater risk to Bulgaria’s smaller economy compared with larger regional players such as Poland and Romania.

Despite continued political instability, Bulgaria’s private sector and overall economy have demonstrated resilience and growth, supported by strategic cost management, operational improvements, and favorable market conditions, Coface says.

However, profitability across Central and Eastern Europe has come under pressure, with the average profit margin declining from 4% to 3.2% due to rising labor and financing costs. Strong household consumption and EU funds provided a short-term boost, but external factors – particularly Germany’s economic stagnation and mounting global trade tensions – are clouding future prospects.