Bulgaria’s Minimum Wage Gains Ground: Purchasing Power Nears EU Average
Since the start of 2026, Bulgaria’s statutory minimum monthly wage has been set at 620 euros, the lowest in the European Union
pexels.com
Euro zone retail sales rallied more than was expected in October, data showed on Thursday, mainly thanks to a surge in online shopping as a second wave of COVID-19 infections arrived.
The European Union’s statistics office Eurostat said retail sales in the 19 countries sharing the euro rose 1.5% month-on-month in October after a 1.7% monthly slump in September, for a 4.3% year-on-year increase.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 0.8% month rise and a 2.7% annual gain.
Eurostat said Internet and mail order sales jumped 6.1% on the month and surged 28.5% year-on-year, offsetting a 2.8 percent monthly and a 14.0% year-on-year fall in sales of clothes and shoes from shops.
Also sales of petrol fell sharply by 3.7% month-on-month and 9.6% year-on-year, a steeper fall than in the previous month, as fewer people travelled because of the pandemic./ Reuters
The United Kingdom has decided to extend the validity of the general license covering Lukoil’s subsidiaries operating in Bulgaria, the Ministry of Energy announced.
As of February 6, 2026, Bulgaria continues to make steady progress in withdrawing the national currency, the leva, from circulation.
The fully renovated underground parking facility at Terminal 2 of Vasil Levski Airport in Sofia has officially opened, offering parking for over 900 vehicles.
Bulgaria has taken on new debt amounting to 150 million euros through the issuance of government securities, according to results published on the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) website.
In December 2025, Bulgaria’s industrial sector showed modest growth following two consecutive months of decline, yet on an annual basis, production fell for the 13th month in a row.
In December 2025, Bulgaria’s total exports of goods rose by 2.5% compared to the same month a year earlier, reaching 6.7364 billion leva (€3.44 billion), after a contraction of 4% in November.
Novinite 2025 in Review: A Year That Tested Bulgaria and the World
A Disgraceful Betrayal: Bulgaria's Shameful Entry into Trump's Board of Peace