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In 2025, new car registrations across the European Union reached 10,822,831 vehicles, reflecting a moderate increase of 1.8% compared to 2024, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). Despite this growth, total sales remain well below pre-pandemic levels.
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) continued to expand, reaching 1,880,370 units and accounting for 17.4% of the EU market. Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France led in growth, with increases ranging from 12.5% to 43.2%. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) rose to 3,733,325 units, or 34.5% of the market, with Spain (+23.1%), France (+21.6%), Germany (+8%), and Italy (+7.9%) recording the most significant gains. Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) also saw notable growth, totaling 1,015,887 units, led by Spain (+111.7%), Italy (+86.6%), and Germany (+62.3%), with market share rising to 9.4% from 7.2% in 2024. Conversely, petrol car registrations declined by 18.7%, while diesel vehicles dropped to 24.2% of the market. France (-32%), Germany (-21.6%), Italy (-18.2%), and Spain (-16%) experienced the steepest declines.
Bulgaria reported a strong performance in new car sales in 2025, with 49,419 registrations, marking a 15.1% increase from 42,941 in 2024. This places Bulgaria third in the EU for annual growth, behind Lithuania (+39.3%) and Latvia (+31.4%).
By engine type in Bulgaria, gasoline vehicles remained dominant at 38,875 units (+14.4%), followed by diesel at 5,313 units (-8.6%). Electric vehicles showed significant growth, with BEVs reaching 2,420 units (+62%), HEVs at 2,045 units (+103.5%), and PHEVs at 566 units (+21.2%).
At the EU level, Volkswagen Group remained the market leader with 2,988,870 cars and a 27.6% share (+5.5%), followed by Stellantis with 1,660,155 cars (15.3%, -4.7%), Renault Group with 1,239,693 cars (11.5%, +5.6%), and Tesla with 150,504 cars (1.4%, -37.9%).
The data indicate a clear shift towards electrification, with hybrid and fully electric vehicles gaining ground as traditional petrol and diesel cars decline, while Bulgaria stands out as one of the fastest-growing markets for new car registrations in the EU.
Healthcare costs in Bulgaria are rising at a significantly faster pace than overall inflation, with price growth in the sector in 2026 roughly twice the national average compared to 2025
Around half a million Bulgarians chose to spend Easter inside the country, while roughly 120,000 traveled abroad
Nikola Nikolov, known as "Pascal" and described by investigators as a long-standing figure in cigarette smuggling, has admitted guilt and finalized a plea deal with the prosecution
The National Revenue Agency and the Consumer Protection Commission are set to present updated findings from ongoing nationwide inspections targeting suspected unjustified price hikes in Bulgaria
Acting Energy Minister Traycho Traykov said Bulgaria should not tap into its 90-day fuel reserves to ease prices, stressing that they must remain a safeguard in case of an actual supply disruption
Annual inflation in Bulgaria accelerated in March to 4.1% on a yearly basis, up from 3.3% in February, according to National Statistical Institute data
Acting Energy Minister Traycho Traykov said Bulgaria should not tap into its 90-day fuel reserves to ease prices, stressing that they must remain a safeguard in case of an actual supply disruption
Bulgaria has secured a six-month extension of the Lukoil waiver, following a decision by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) has decided to increase the countercyclical capital buffer to 2.25%, in a move aimed at easing pressure on the rapidly growing housing credit market and strengthening the resilience of the banking system.
Energy expert Boyan Rashev has warned that Europe could be moving toward what he described as an “energy lockdown” scenario if fuel supply pressures continue to worsen
Fuel prices in Bulgaria have continued to edge upward, with diesel and gasoline both registering increases in the days following the Easter holiday
Bulgaria’s tourism sector has never been stronger and has been achieving steady growth for the past few years.
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