Central government expense in Bulgaria

Central government expense in Bulgaria was equal to 35.8% of GDP in 2023.

Measure: Central government expense as a share of GDP Unit: % of GDP Data: 1990 to 2023 Source: World Bank
Bulgaria, 2023 35.8% % of GDP
Change from 2022 −3.6percentage points 2022: 39.3%
European Union, 2022 39.3% Official aggregate Not the same period as Bulgaria (2023).
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2023 38.5% Middle value of 19 countries

Central government expense in Bulgaria over time

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Bulgaria European Union ×

% of GDP. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.

Central government expense as a share of GDP (% of GDP), 2000 to 2023
Period BulgariaEuropean Union
2023 35.8% –
2022 39.3% 39.3%
2021 37.7% 41.1%
2020 36.5% 42.2%
2019 33.2% 36.4%
2018 33.2% 36.6%
2017 32.0% 37.0%
2016 32.0% 37.4%
2015 34.3% 37.8%
2014 37.9% 38.6%
2013 32.9% 39.1%
2012 30.9% 39.1%
2011 29.8% 38.1%
2010 31.6% 39.6%
2009 33.8% 39.4%
2008 31.8% 36.2%
2007 32.8% 35.4%
2006 29.6% 35.9%
2005 31.4% 36.5%
2004 34.2% 36.7%
2003 34.9% 38.2%
2002 33.2% 37.9%
2001 33.8% 37.7%
2000 34.0% 37.7%

A dash means no value was published for that period.

In short

  • That is a change of −3.6 percentage points from 39.3% in 2022.
  • Since 2013, when it was 32.9%, the figure has changed by +2.8 percentage points.

Source and dates

Original producer
International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics
Distributed by
World Bank, World Development Indicators
Dataset or series code
GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS · dataset details · view at source
Observation period
1990 to 2023 for Bulgaria
Provider update
8 October 2026
Retrieved
9 November 2026
Published here
9 November 2026
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (per series metadata)
Attribution
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, original data: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics