Bulgaria Posts Second-Highest EU Growth Rate as Bloc Economy Slows in Early 2026

Jerusalem, 13 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Brussels (BTA) – Economic growth in the European Union and the euro area slowed in the first quarter of 2026, reported on an annual basis, according to the latest Eurostat data.

The annual growth rate of economic output in the EU fell to 1 percent in the period January-March this year, while in the last quarter of last year it decreased to 1.4 percent.

The eurozone economy, which has 21 member states after Bulgaria’s accession on January 1, 2026, also grew at a slower annual rate in the first quarter – 0.8 percent compared to 1.3 percent in the previous quarter.

Compared to the previous quarter, in January-March 2026, the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.2 percent, the same as in the previous period. In the euro area, GDP recorded a monthly growth of 0.1 percent after 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Bulgaria registered a GDP increase of 2.9 percent in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2025, as well as by 0.7 percent compared to the previous quarter. The data correspond to the seasonally adjusted data of the National Statistical Institute released today. In October-December 2025, the Bulgarian economy grew at identical rates both on a monthly and annual basis.

The Bulgarian economy recorded the second-highest annual growth rate among EU countries in the first quarter of 2026, with only Cyprus ‘ economy expanding by more – 3 percent, according to Eurostat data. Spain remains in third place, with its economy growing by 2.7 percent.

In the first quarter, only Ireland (6.3 percent) and Romania (1.5 percent) reported an annual decline in GDP.