site.btaForeign Direct Investment in Bulgaria in January-September 2024 Down by Over 60% Y/Y

Foreign direct investments in Bulgaria amounted to EUR 1.241 billion at the end of September this year, according to preliminary data of the Bulgarian National Bank. This represents a year-on-year decrease of 63.3%. By comparison, in the first nine months of last year, the net inflow of direct investments in the country was positive at EUR 3.381 billion, or EUR 2.139 billion more than the current figures.

Direct investment at the end of September this year was equivalent to 1.2% of Bulgaria's GDP. In the same period last year, the share was 3.6% of this country's GDP.

Specifically, in September this year, the net inflow of direct investment in Bulgaria was positive at EUR 314.6 million. In September last year, the inflow was also positive, reaching EUR 277.3 million.

BNB's figures are preliminary, which means that they are subject to revision, which may change the current result.

The largest net direct investment inflows in Bulgaria for January – September 2024 were from Austria (EUR 399.1 million), Netherlands (EUR 350.9 million), and the Greece (EUR 221.4 million), whereas the largest net outflows were to Luxembourg (EUR 268.3 million) and United States (EUR 254.3 million).

Real estate investments of non-residents recorded a net outflow of EUR 5.8 million, compared with a negative value of EUR 13.2 million in January – September 2023.

According to preliminary data, direct investment abroad for January – September 2024 totalled EUR 416.4 million (0.4% of GDP), compared with EUR 510.4 million (0.5% of GDP) in January – September 2023. It recorded a positive value of EUR 53 million in September 2024, compared with a positive value of EUR 97.2 million in September 2023.