site.btaAnnual Inflation in Bulgaria in January 2026 at 3.5%

According to preliminary data published on the National Statistical Institute (NSI) website on Monday, in January 2026, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was 0.6% and the annual inflation rate in January 2026, compared to January 2025, was 3.5%.
The annual average inflation rate for the period February 2025 - January 2026 compared to the period February 2024 - January 2025 was 4.6%.

NSI said that inflation data only for January is always preliminary, because the processing of the NSI Household Budget Survey is expected to be completed by the end of the month. The final inflation data for January is expected to be announced in March, along with the final data for February.

On February 3, the NSI announced that monthly inflation in Bulgaria, measured by the consumer price index, is expected to be 0.7%, and annual inflation - 3.6% in January 2026. With the publishing of the annotation for the inflation flash estimate, which provides early information on inflation rates, before the publication of the final and detailed statistical data, Bulgaria, after becoming part of the monetary union on January 1, 2026, can already be compared on this indicator with the other 20 members of the euro area.

At the beginning of the February, NSI said that based on the experience of other euro area countries, it would not be possible to predict the difference between flash and regularly announced inflation, because this depends on price changes. However, NSI experts said, the goal of all EU countries’ national statistics is to bring the discrepancy to a minimum.

In December 2025, the monthly inflation (CPI) was 0.1%, and the annual inflation for December 2025 compared to December 2024 was 5%, according to NSI data.

Monthly Inflation

In January 2026, the prices of goods and services increased in the following consumer groups: Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services, an increase of 1.8%; Restaurants and accommodation services - 1.6%; Insurance and financial services - 1.3%; Recreation, sport and culture - 1.2%; Food and non-alcoholic beverages - 0.9%; Health - 0.9%; Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance - 0.9%; Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels - 0.8%; Education services - 0.7%; Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics - 0.5%; Transport - 0.1%.

The prices of goods and services decreased in Clothing and footwear (4.0%) and Information and communication (0.3%)consumer groups.

Accumulated inflation

The accumulated inflation, measured by CPI, for the last three years (January 2026 compared to January 2023) was 11.5% and for the last five years (January 2026 compared to January 2021) was 42.1%.

Price Index of a Small Basket (PISB)

According to NSI’s preliminary data, in January 2026, the monthly rate, measured by PISB, was 0.5% and the annual rate in January 2026, compared to January 2025, was 2.9%.

In January 2026, compared to the previous month, the prices of goods and services in the small basket for the 20% of households with the lowest income changed as follows: Food products - an increase of 0.7%; Services - an increase of 0.6%. The prices of Non-food products remained unchanged.

According to the Price Index of a Small Basket in December 2025, an increase of 0.2% on a monthly basis and an increase of 5.6% since the beginning of the year was registered.