Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) was 45.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Bulgaria, 1981–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 45.6% for value of imported goods as a share of gdp in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.4% on the previous year and down 19.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Bulgaria peaked at 67.7% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 12.0%, in 1982.
Bulgaria ranks 53rd of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 13.8% | — |
| 1982 | 12.0% | -13.2% |
| 1983 | 14.7% | +22.9% |
| 1984 | 15.5% | +5.4% |
| 1985 | 20.2% | +30.6% |
| 1986 | 17.4% | -13.7% |
| 1987 | 14.0% | -19.7% |
| 1988 | 20.8% | +48.6% |
| 1989 | 19.4% | -7.0% |
| 1990 | 16.5% | -14.9% |
| 1991 | 34.9% | +111.9% |
| 1992 | 47.8% | +36.8% |
| 1993 | 40.6% | -15.0% |
| 1994 | 47.6% | +17.3% |
| 1995 | 28.3% | -40.5% |
| 1996 | 38.1% | +34.4% |
| 1997 | 33.6% | -11.9% |
| 1998 | 32.8% | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 37.4% | +13.9% |
| 2000 | 47.2% | +26.3% |
| 2001 | 50.1% | +6.3% |
| 2002 | 46.0% | -8.2% |
| 2003 | 50.5% | +9.8% |
| 2004 | 54.7% | +8.2% |
| 2005 | 51.0% | -6.6% |
| 2006 | 55.9% | +9.5% |
| 2007 | 67.7% | +21.2% |
| 2008 | 67.7% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 44.9% | -33.6% |
| 2010 | 50.0% | +11.3% |
| 2011 | 56.2% | +12.5% |
| 2012 | 60.0% | +6.7% |
| 2013 | 61.2% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 60.4% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 57.0% | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 53.1% | -6.9% |
| 2017 | 57.1% | +7.6% |
| 2018 | 56.8% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 54.5% | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 49.4% | -9.4% |
| 2021 | 54.5% | +10.4% |
| 2022 | 63.8% | +17.0% |
| 2023 | 52.3% | -18.0% |
| 2024 | 47.8% | -8.6% |
| 2025 | 45.6% | -4.4% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 45.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 30.4%, 1.5× the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 45.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 38.0%, 1.2× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Bulgaria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +111.9% | 16.5% | 34.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 16.4% | 12.0% | 20.8% | 9 |
| 1990s | 35.8% | 16.5% | 47.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.6% | 44.9% | 67.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.6% | 50.0% | 61.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.2% | 45.6% | 63.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More economy & growth data for Bulgaria
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -8.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.48 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.58 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0156 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 316.82 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.1831 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0114 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 231.34 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Bulgaria?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Bulgaria was 45.6% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 67.7% in 2007.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.0% in 1982.
- How does Bulgaria rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- Bulgaria ranks 53rd out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Value of a country’s total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).