Bulgaria’s producer prices surge to second-highest in EU in early 2025

Sofia: Producer prices in Bulgaria saw significant growth at the beginning of 2025, positioning the country among the fastest-growing in the European Union. According to Eurostat data, Bulgaria recorded the second-highest increase in producer prices within the EU in January 2025.

Producer prices across the euro area and the EU increased more than anticipated in January compared to the previous month. The euro area saw a 0.8% rise in producer prices, following a 0.5% increase in December 2024, with expectations set at a 0.5% increase. Similarly, EU-wide producer prices also grew by 0.8% from December to January, surpassing the 0.4% increase from the previous month.

In Bulgaria, producer prices soared by 5.4% in January, compared to a 5.1% rise in December 2024. Only Ireland saw a stronger increase, with producer prices rising by 6.2%. In contrast, the most significant declines in monthly producer prices were recorded in Portugal, where prices fell by 2.2%, Austria (down by 0.6%), Slovenia (down by 0.5%), and Cyprus (down by 0.3%).

On an annual basis, producer price growth accelerated in both the EU and the euro area. In January 2025, producer prices in the EU and euro area increased by 1.8%, up from just 0.1% in December 2024. Bulgaria’s year-on-year increase in January 2025 was even more significant, rising by 14.4%. Only Ireland reported a stronger annual increase in producer prices, at 14.9%.

At the same time, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Estonia reported the most significant annual declines in producer prices, with drops of 5.3%, 4.7%, and 4.5%, respectively.