site.btaBulgarian National Bank Reports Decrease in Banknotes in Circulation M/M

At end-October, 583.7 million banknotes were in circulation in Bulgaria, down from 589.9 million at end-September, which is a 1.05% decrease, the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) said on Wednesday.

The BGN 50 bill has the largest share of banknotes in circulation (242.4 million). It is followed by the BGN 100 bill with 126.1 million banknotes and the BGN 20 bill with 103.2 banknotes.

At the end of October, the total value of banknotes in circulation was BGN 27.7 billion, down from BGN 27.8 billion at end-September, which is a 0.12% decrease.

A total of 340 counterfeit banknotes circulating in Bulgaria were registered and seized in the third quarter of the year. Most of them were of BGN 50 denomination – 278 pieces. Seized were also 46 pieces of BGN 20 bills, 12 pieces of BGN 10 bills, and 2 pieces of BGN 5 and BGN 100 each.

BNB statistics show that 160.5 million banknotes were in circulation as of end-1999. The banknote with the largest denomination then was the BGN 50 bill, with some 20 million pieces in circulation.

At the end of 1999, the most circulated banknotes were of BGN 1 denomination – 37.2 million pieces. The BGN 1 bill has not been in circulation since January 1, 2016 but they are still being exchanged at the BNB. The BGN 100 bill has been in circulation since December 8, 2003.