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Photo: Stella Ivanova
The Bulgarian banking system posted a 4.4% increase in annual profit, reaching a total of 2.5 billion leva by the end of August 2025, according to data from the Bulgarian National Bank.
In August, total assets of the banking sector rose by 2.4 billion leva, or 1.2%, reaching 203.3 billion leva. During the month, loans and advances grew by 1.6 billion leva (1.3%), while debt securities increased by 881 million leva (2.5%). At the end of August, loans and advances accounted for 63.7% of balance sheet assets, and debt securities for 17.7%, slightly up from 63.7% and 17.5% in July.
Gross loans and advances totaled 133 billion leva at the end of August, up 1.6 billion leva (1.3%) compared to July. Receivables from credit institutions increased by 571 million leva (4.8%) to 12.5 billion leva, while the gross loan portfolio rose by 1.0 billion leva (0.8%) to 120.1 billion leva on a monthly basis.
Loans to households increased by 894 million leva (1.7%), including 622 million leva secured by residential property. Loans to other financial enterprises grew by 147 million leva (1.6%), and to the general government sector by 7 million leva (0.6%). Conversely, loans to non-financial enterprises declined slightly by 37 million leva (0.1%).
Deposits in the banking system reached 171.8 billion leva at the end of August, up 2.1 billion leva (1.2%) compared to July. Household deposits rose by 1 billion leva (1.1%), non-financial enterprise deposits by 1.2 billion leva (2.4%), and deposits of other financial enterprises by 192 million leva (4.8%). Meanwhile, deposits from credit institutions fell by 183 million leva (1.3%), and those of the general government sector decreased by 177 million leva (4.2%).
The equity of the banking system stood at 24.9 billion leva on August 31, 2025, up 272 million leva (1.1%) from July, primarily due to the increase in current profits. Impairment costs for financial assets not measured at fair value through profit or loss amounted to 418 million leva for the first eight months of 2025, an increase of 38 million leva (10%) compared to the same period in 2024.
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