Inflation and Consumer Price Indices - November 2025

The monthly inflation rate was 0.5%, while the annual inflation rate was 5.2%. The inflation rate is measured by the CPI, with monthly inflation referring to November 2025 compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation is for November 2025 compared to the same month of the previous year.

In November 2025, compared to the previous month, an increase was registered in the following groups: 'Recreation and culture’ (3.7%), ‘Transport’ (1.3%) and ‘Restaurants and hotels’ (0.6%). A decrease in the prices was recorded in the following groups: ‘Communications’ (-1.0%) and ‘Clothing and footwear’ (-0.1%).

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

In November 2025, the monthly inflation rate was 0.5% and the annual inflation rate in November 2025, compared to November 2024, was 5.2%^[1].

The inflation rate since the beginning of the year (November 2025 compared to December 2024) was 4.8%, and the annual average inflation rate for the period December 2024 - November 2025, compared to the period December 2023 - November 2024, was 4.4%.

Monthly inflation

In November 2025, the prices of goods and services increased in the following consumer groups:

• ‘Recreation and culture’ - an increase of 3.7%;
• ‘Transport’ - an increase of 1.3%;
• ‘Restaurants and hotels’ - an increase of 0.6%;
• ‘Miscellaneous goods and services’ - an increase of 0.4%;
• ‘Health’ - an increase of 0.2%;
• ‘Alcoholic beverages and tobacco’ - an increase of 0.1%;
• ‘Food and non-alcoholic beverages’ - an increase of 0.1%;
• ‘Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels’ - an increase of 0.1%.

The prices of goods and services decreased in the following consumer groups:

• ‘Communications’ - a decrease of 1.0%;
• ‘Clothing and footwear’ - a decrease of 0.1%.

The prices of the goods and services in the groups ‘Education’ and ‘Furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house’ remained unchanged.

Accumulated inflation

The accumulated inflation, measured by CPI, for the last three years (November 2025 compared to November 2022) was 13.2% and for the last five years (November 2025 compared to November 2020) was 42.0%.

Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP)

In November 2025, the monthly inflation rate, measured by HICP, was 0.2% and the annual inflation rate in November 2025 compared to November 2024 was 3.7%^[2].

The inflation rate since the beginning of the year (November 2025 compared to December 2024) was 3.3%, and the annual average inflation rate for the period December 2024 - November 2025 compared to the period December 2023 - November 2024 was 3.4%.

Monthly inflation

In terms of HICP in November 2025 the prices of goods and services increased in the following consumer groups:

• ‘Recreation and culture’ - an increase of 1.2%;
• ‘Miscellaneous goods and services’ - an increase of 0.3%;
• ‘Health’ - an increase of 0.2%;
• ‘Transport’ - an increase of 0.2%;
• ‘Restaurants and hotels’ - an increase of 0.2%;
• ‘Alcoholic beverages and tobacco’ - an increase of 0.1%;
• ‘Clothing and footwear’ - an increase of 0.1%;
• ‘Furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house’ - an increase of 0.1%.

The prices of goods and services decreased in the following consumer group:

• ‘Communications’ - a decrease of 1.0%.

The prices of the goods and services in the groups ‘Food and non-alcoholic beverages’, ‘Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels’ and ‘Education’ remained unchanged.

Accumulated inflation

The accumulated inflation, measured by HICP, for the last three years (November 2025 compared to November 2022) was 11.6% and for the last five years (November 2025 compared to November 2020) was 35.7%.

Price Index of a Small Basket (PISB)

In November 2025, a price increase of 0.2%, measured by the Price Index of a Small Basket, was registered on a monthly basis, and since the beginning of the year, there was a price increase of 5.4%^[3].

In November 2025, compared to the previous month, the prices of goods and services in the small basket for the 20% of households with the lowest income changed as follows:

• ‘Food products’ - an increase of 0.4%;

 The prices of ‘Services’ and ‘Non-food products’ remained unchanged.

Methodological notes

 Upcoming changes to the consumer price indices (CPI, HICP, PISB)

From January 2026, several methodological changes will take effect in the consumer price indices due to the entering into force of directly applicable EU regulations, binding for all EU Member States, as follows:

• The indices will be compiled according to the new European Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose version 2, aligned with the United Nations UN COICOP 2018
• Games of chance will be included in the CPI and HICP as part of Recreation services under the division of Recreation, sport and culture.
• All indices will be produced and published with reference period 2025=100.

In relation to the membership of Bulgaria in the euro area from 1^st of January 2026, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) is obliged to produce and publish inflation flash estimates. This is valid for all country members of the euro area. NSI will publish on its website an annotation for the inflation flash estimates, according to the Release Calendar of statistical information. 

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the official measure of inflation in the Republic of Bulgaria. It measures the total relative price change of goods and services used by households for private (non-production) consumption. It is calculated by applying the structure of Bulgarian households’ final monetary consumption expenditures. The main source of information for the expenditures is the household budget survey in the country. The CPI in year t is calculated with the expenditures’ structure of year t - 1.

The Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) is the comparable measure of inflation across EU Member States. It is one of the criteria for price stability and the readiness of Bulgaria to join the Eurozone. HICP, as well as CPI, measures the total relative price change of goods and services. Both indices are calculated using the same basket of goods and services but differ with concern to the weights used. HICP is calculated using weights, which reflect the individual and collective consumption of all households (incl. institutional and foreign households) in the country’s economic territory. The main source of information for HICP weights is the national accounts (NA) data. For calculating the HICP in 2025, NA data for households’ final monetary consumption expenditures (HFMCE) - domestic concept in 2023 is used. NA 2023 data are reviewed and updated to make them representative of 2024, following Eurostat’s methodological guidance on the compilation of HICP weights in case of large changes in consumer expenditures^[4].

In compliance with Regulation (EC) No. 2015/2010, since January 2016, the base year for HICP has changed, and all indices have been calculated and published using 2015 as a base year. The time series have been recalculated according to the new base year and have been posted on the website of NSI (www.nsi.bg).

The Price Index of a Small Basket (PISB) measures the relative average price changes of 100 socially useful and vital living goods and services. The weights of this index reflect the expenditures of the 20% lowest households’ incomes. The source of the information on weights is the Households Budget Survey in the country. This index in year t is calculated with the weights of year t - 1.

The chain consumer price indices measure the price change in the current month compared to the previous month. The chain consumer price indices are used as a measure of monthly inflation.

The 12-month consumer price indices measure the price changes occurring between the current month and the same month of the previous year. The 12-month consumer price indices are used as a measure of annual inflation.

Consumer price indices over December of the previous year measure the accumulated changes in prices of the current month concerning December of the previous year. Consumer price indices over December of the previous year are used as measures of inflation since the beginning of the year. In December of each year, the 12-month index is equal to the index over December of the previous year.

The annual average consumer price indices measure the average price change during the 12 months of the current year compared to the average price change during the 12 months of the previous year. The annual average consumer price indices are used as a measure of the annual average inflation.

Statistical area: Inflation and Consumer Price Indices:

Inflation and Consumer Price Indices|National Statistical Institute (nsi.bg)

IS Infostat: Consumer prices:

https://infostat.nsi.bg/infostat/pages/module.jsf?x_2=68

Metadata and Methodology:

Consumer Price Indices (CPI)|National Statistical Institute (nsi.bg)

Inflation Rate Calculator:

Inflation Rate Calculator|National Statistical Institute (nsi.bg)

Annex

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

^[1] According to the CPI methodology. For more information, see the Methodological notes on pages 5 and 6 and Annex, Table 1.

^[2] According to the HICP methodology. For more information, see the Methodological notes on pages 5 and 6 and Annex, Table 2.

^[3] For more information, see the Methodological notes on pages 5 and 6 and Annex, Table 3.

^[4] Guidance on the compilation of HICP weights in case of large changes in consumer expenditures, Eurostat, Directorate C, Macro-economic statistics, 03.02.2020:  

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/10186/10693286/Guidance-on-the-compilation-of-HICP-weights-in-case-of-large-changes-in-consumer-expenditures.pdf.