site.btaMoney in Circulation Increases by 12.3% by End-June, Y/Y

Sofia, August 16 (BTA) - Money in circulation in Bulgaria totalled 14,214,900,000 leva as at the end of June 2017, increasing by 1,557,100,000 leva, or 12.30 per cent, compared with June 30, 2016, the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) reported. This compares with an 11.60 per cent increase between September 30, 2014 and September 30, 2015.

As at June 30, 2017, banknotes accounted for 97.60 per cent of the total nominal value of the money in circulation, increasing by 3.73 percentage points compared with March 31, 2017.

The number of banknotes in circulation was 416,500,000, increasing by 15,000,000, or 3.73 per cent, compared with March 31, 2017.

In terms of banknote denomination structure, the 20 leva banknotes had the largest share in the total number of banknotes in circulation as at the end of the second quarter of 2017 (30.22 per cent). There were 125,900,000 banknotes of this denomination in circulation as at June 30. The share of 5 leva banknotes was the smallest (5.84 per cent).

The number of coins in circulation was 2,193,200,000, increasing by 51,200,000 or 2.39 per cent, from end-March. The long-term tendency of an increase of the number of coins in circulation was preserved on an annual basis.

The number of coins with lower nominal value continued to increase. The number of 1 stotinka coins had the largest share of 29.97 per cent in the total number of coins in circulation as at the end of the second quarter of 2017. As at June 30 there were 657,200,000 coins of this denomination in circulation as at June 30. The 2 leva coins had the smallest share of 1.14 per cent.