The latest Eurostat data, published today, show the development of public debt in the European Union member states in the third quarter of 2025 by debt-to-GDP ratio indicators — both on a quarterly and annual basis.
At the end of the third quarter of 2025, Bulgaria's government debt amounted to 28.4% of gross domestic product (GDP).
This represents an increase both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year.
The increase compared to the second quarter of 2025 is 2.1 percentage points, which is one of the stronger quarterly increases among EU Member States.
Only Luxembourg's debt on a quarterly basis grew faster than Bulgaria's across the European Union in the third quarter of 2025 — the other Member States registered lower debt growth rates.
Despite the quarterly increase, Bulgaria remains one of the countries with the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios in the EU, well below the Union average. According to data for the first quarter of 2025, the country is among the countries with the lowest debt burden — on par with Estonia and below Luxembourg.
The European Union as a whole reports significantly higher levels of government debt to GDP (about 82% on average as of the first quarter of 2025), and in the euro area this share reaches about 88%.
Some member states have a much higher debt burden — such as Greece, Italy and France — whose debt exceeds 100% of GDP.
At the same time, Bulgaria continues to be distinguished by an extremely low relative debt level despite the current dynamics.
The low level of government debt to GDP is a positive signal for the country's fiscal stability and places it among the most resilient countries in the EU by this criterion.