site.btaEducation Minister: 2025 Education Budget Amounts to Over BGN 10 Bln, 4.8% of GDP

The estimated funds for education in the draft budget for 2025 are BGN 10.236 billion, which is 4.8% of the gross domestic product (GDP), Minister of Education and Science Krasimir Valchev said on Wednesday at the meeting of the parliamentary Education and Science Committee. This is more as a percentage of GDP and is more in terms of growth compared to the previous year, he added. The draft state budget bill for 2025 in its part for education and science, submitted by the Council of Ministers on February 24, was discussed and adopted during the meeting. 

Last year, BGN 8.4 billion was allocated for education, which was 4.1% of GDP.  

"Compared to previous years, in higher education we have the most noticeable increase in funds because of increased salaries and additional funds planned last year, which are now budgeted year-round. It is the same situation with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences transfer. We can see an increase in transfers to higher education institutions of almost BGN 400 million, and this includes the increased scholarships for PhD students, but mostly for the increase in the salaries of academic staff in state higher education institutions. The rest of the amount, almost BGN 770 million, is for pre-school and school education, but this year we have less BGN 70 million earmarked for textbooks, because now much less new textbooks will be financed, and they will be used for the second and third years. Textbooks are bought once every three years, except for first grade," Valchev said. 

He also announced the funds for delegated activities under the standard for schools, kindergartens and personal development support centres.

"These are the funds that secure the salaries of nearly 92,000 pedagogical specialists, teachers, speech therapists, resource teachers, psychologists, deputy principals, principals, and there are also funds for non-teaching staff. They have been increased by the rise in the minimum wage, and BGN 123 million and a half has been earmarked for increasing the minimum wage from January 1 for non-teaching staff. BGN 499 million has been earmarked for increasing the salaries of teaching staff, and we have decided whether their salaries should be increased by 12.7% from January 1 or by 15% from March 1. The sectoral council for tripartite cooperation chose the second decision and not only because the percentage is higher, but also because it will not lag behind the average wage for the country," explained the Education Minister.   

Nearly BGN 440 million are provided annually for the all-day organization of the school day, nearly BGN 80 million - for the support of the students' nutrition, nearly BGN 43 million - for the school dormitories, BGN 36 million - for activities of interest, nearly BGN 31 million are provided for the centers for the support of personal development, separately there are BGN 3 million for career consultants and centers. BGN 15 million are provided for compensation of children not enrolled in kindergartens and nurseries, BGN 76 million - for transport of pupils, BGN 40 million - for school scholarships, BGN 18 million will be provided for protected schools, BGN 13 million and a half for Sunday schools, Minister Valchev announced. According to him, the more expensive education in specialised training remains a problem in the system. 

In terms of the science budget, it amounts to BGN 853 million, which is 0.4% of GDP, compared to BGN 723 million or 0.35% in 2024. "The negative thing here is that we have not calculated additional BGN 31 million to compensate for the funds used at the end of last year for science to support farmers," explained Minister Krasimir Valchev.