Expense in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Expense was 35.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
35.8%
Change on year
down 9.1%
World rank
31st
of 157 countries
All-time high
53.5%
in 1990
All-time low
26.2%
in 1997
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Expense in Bulgaria, 1990–2023

02040601990200620231990: 53.5 % of GDP1991: 39.4 % of GDP1992: 39.6 % of GDP1993: 43.7 % of GDP1994: 43.7 % of GDP1995: 28 % of GDP1996: 32 % of GDP1997: 26.2 % of GDP1998: 30.4 % of GDP1999: 34.4 % of GDP2000: 34 % of GDP2001: 33.8 % of GDP2002: 33.2 % of GDP2003: 34.9 % of GDP2004: 34.2 % of GDP2005: 31.4 % of GDP2006: 29.6 % of GDP2007: 32.8 % of GDP2008: 31.8 % of GDP2009: 33.8 % of GDP2010: 31.6 % of GDP2011: 29.8 % of GDP2012: 30.9 % of GDP2013: 32.9 % of GDP2014: 37.9 % of GDP2015: 34.3 % of GDP2016: 32 % of GDP2017: 32 % of GDP2018: 33.2 % of GDP2019: 33.2 % of GDP2020: 36.5 % of GDP2021: 37.7 % of GDP2022: 39.3 % of GDP2023: 35.8 % of GDP

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

Bulgaria recorded 35.8% for expense in 2023.

That represents a change of down 9.1% on the previous year and up 8.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expense in Bulgaria peaked at 53.5% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 26.2%, in 1997.

Bulgaria ranks 31st of 157 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.

Expense in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Expense (% of GDP) in Bulgaria, 1990 to 2023.
Year % of GDP Change
1990 53.5%
1991 39.4% -26.4%
1992 39.6% +0.4%
1993 43.7% +10.5%
1994 43.7% +0.1%
1995 28.0% -36.0%
1996 32.0% +14.6%
1997 26.2% -18.2%
1998 30.4% +15.9%
1999 34.4% +13.3%
2000 34.0% -1.2%
2001 33.8% -0.6%
2002 33.2% -1.8%
2003 34.9% +5.2%
2004 34.2% -2.1%
2005 31.4% -8.1%
2006 29.6% -5.8%
2007 32.8% +10.7%
2008 31.8% -3.0%
2009 33.8% +6.4%
2010 31.6% -6.5%
2011 29.8% -5.6%
2012 30.9% +3.6%
2013 32.9% +6.5%
2014 37.9% +15.3%
2015 34.3% -9.6%
2016 32.0% -6.6%
2017 32.0% -0.1%
2018 33.2% +3.6%
2019 33.2% +0.1%
2020 36.5% +10.0%
2021 37.7% +3.3%
2022 39.3% +4.3%
2023 35.8% -9.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 37.1% 26.2% 53.5% 10
2000s 33.0% 29.6% 34.9% 10
2010s 32.8% 29.8% 37.9% 10
2020s 37.3% 35.8% 39.3% 4

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 28 Portugal 37.2% compare
  2. 29 Uruguay 36.5% compare
  3. 30 Namibia 36.2% compare
  4. 32 New Zealand 35.5% compare
  5. 33 Serbia 35.5% compare
  6. 34 Bosnia and Herzegovina 35.3% compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More economy & growth data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is expense in Bulgaria?
Expense in Bulgaria was 35.8% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest expense recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 53.5% in 1990.
What is the lowest expense recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 26.2% in 1997.
How does Bulgaria rank for expense?
Bulgaria ranks 31st out of 157 countries with data for 2023.
Is expense rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Expense (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Expense in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/expense-percent-of-gdp/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Expense (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
183 places, 5,211 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.