Bulgaria Nears Completion of Leva Withdrawal as 81% Taken Out of Circulation
As of February 6, 2026, Bulgaria continues to make steady progress in withdrawing the national currency, the leva, from circulation.
An estimated 350 000 Bulgarians are alcohol dependent. Photo by sxc.hu
Bulgaria has been ranked sixth globally by alcoholic beverages consumption with 30 liters a year per capita.
The data was reported Saturday by psychiatrist Dr Alexander Kanchelov, expert on treating alcohol dependency.
Speaking for Darik radio, he said that 350 000 Bulgarians are alcohol dependent, but only 1% seek treatment. 30% of men and 20% of women are at risk.
According to him, a standard drink in Bulgaria is a class of wine, 25 milliliters of liquor or a small beer.
Consumption of 21 such drinks in the course of 5 days each week for men and 14 for women is a risk, gradually leading to addiction.
Kanchelov method of treatment includes moderate consumption instead of full abstention. The target is the 30% of regular consumers, who are at risk.
The doctor believes that full abstention is unachievable in most cases.
The flu epidemic in Bulgaria has already passed its peak, according to Prof. Todor Kantardzhiev, former director of the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases
Over 300,000 Bulgarians living with cancer were registered in the National Health Information System in 2025, marking an increase of 15,000 cases compared to 2024.
The pediatric surgery department at St. Anna Hospital in Varna will close its doors on March 1 due to resignations from the medical staff. The doctors have indicated that they plan to continue their work at a private medical facility in Burgas.
North Macedonia’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, H.E. Agneza Popovska, presented an award to Sofia’s N. I. Pirogov Hospital in recognition of its efforts in treating the most seriously injured young people following the tragic disco fire in Kočani in March 2025.
A Bulgarian scientist has developed a drug that halts the growth of cancer and prevents metastases from spreading to other organs.
Bulgaria is currently experiencing a flu season that is spreading more moderately than initially anticipated, according to an analysis by Chief State Health Inspector Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev,
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