site.btaHighest Number of Counterfeit Banknotes Seized in Bulgaria in Past 15 Years, According to Bulgarian National Bank Data

The number of registered and seized counterfeit banknotes in circulation in Bulgaria is the highest since the beginning of 2010, according to data from the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB). In the third quarter of 2025, 2,896 counterfeit banknotes were seized. In Q1 of 2010, 3,327 counterfeit banknotes were registered, which is the record in the past 15 years.

Now, most of the counterfeit banknotes seized were BGN 50 notes - 2,748 or nearly 95% of all counterfeit money registered during the quarter under review. This is the highest number of counterfeit BGN 50 banknotes registered since these statistics have been kept. Second were the BGN 100 banknotes - 91, followed by the BGN 20 banknotes - 51 seized.

The amount of counterfeit money seized in Q3 increased 2.5 times compared to Q2 of 2025, when it amounted to 1,249. At that time, most of the counterfeit banknotes seized were BGN 100 notes - 661, followed by BGN 50 notes - 533.

Overall, the last two quarters have seen a dramatic increase in the number of counterfeit banknotes seized and registered in circulation, as in the last decade, only in two quarters has the number of counterfeit banknotes seized reached a four-digit number.