site.btaStrong Growth in Lending and Deposits Across All Sectors, Central Bank Reports

Central bank statistics shows strong growth in lending and deposits across all sectors in Bulgaria as at the end of March. The volume of household loans rose by 20.7%, and household deposits increased by 11.4% on an annual basis at the end of March, according to data published by the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) on its website on Tuesday.

As of the end of March, the number of loans to households and NPISHs (Non-Profit Institutions Serving Households) increased by 2.3% year-on-year to 2.896 million. Their total value reached BGN 48.372 billion, a 20.7% annual increase. Compared to the end of December 2024, the number of these loans declined slightly by 0.1%, but their total volume rose by 4.3%. Loans in the range of BGN 100,000 to 250,000 held the largest share, at 27.8% of the total amount.

Loans to non-financial enterprises at the end of the first quarter stood at 154,000, showing a slight year-on-year increase. Their total value was BGN 50.031 billion, reflecting a 9.7% increase compared to the same period last year. Compared to the previous quarter, the number of loans in this sector rose by 2.9%, and the total volume increased by 1.9%.

The three sectors with the largest shares of total loan amounts in this group were: trade – 26.6%; manufacturing – 21.6%; real estate operations – 11.7%. In this category, loans over BGN 1 million dominated, accounting for 75.9% of the total loan volume.

Loans to financial enterprises at the end of Q1 numbered 1,129, marking a 10.5% increase year-on-year. Their value stood at BGN 8.739 billion, up 13.4% year-on-year. Compared to the previous quarter, the number of loans increased by 2.1%, and their value grew by 3.2%. Loans over BGN 1 million made up 99.2% of this total.

The total number of loans to households, non-financial, and financial enterprises grew by 2.2% year-on-year, with their combined value increasing by 14.7%.

Deposits

On the deposits side, the number of deposits in these three sectors rose by 1.1% year-on-year, while their total value increased by 10.5%.

At the end of Q1, households and NPISHs held 8.991 million deposits, an annual increase of 0.9%. Their total value rose by 11.4% year-on-year to BGN 90.836 billion. Compared to December 2024, the number of deposits decreased slightly by 0.2%, while their total value rose by 1.6%. Deposits in the range of BGN 50,000 to 100,000 accounted for the largest share - 19.2% of the total.

Deposits by non-financial enterprises at the end of March stood at 646,300, up 3.5% compared to the same month in 2024. Their value reached BGN 46.799 billion, an 8% year-on-year increase. Compared to December 2024, their number increased by 0.6%, while the value declined by 0.3%. The sectors with the largest shares of deposits were: trade – 25.1%; manufacturing – 14.1%; construction – 9.4%.

Deposits over BGN 1 million accounted for 60% of the total in this category.

Deposits of financial enterprises as of the end of March stood at 8,074, up 7.1% compared to the same period in 2024. Their value reached BGN 4.577 billion, showing an 18.3% annual growth. Compared to December 2024, the number of deposits increased by 1%, and their value grew by 11.6%. Deposits over BGN 1 million accounted for 89.9% of the total.