The Bulgarian economy is characteristic of economic growth – Bulgaria is a leader among the mid and East European countries. The value of GDP in 2008 was amounted to 66,7 mld BGN, i.e. 8753 BGN per capita. The GDP is actually higher, like in previous years because of a large participation of the black economy – it is at an estimated value level of 30% of NGP.
 
The inflation in 2008 was low – about 7,8%.

The private sector is still the driving force of the economic growth. It is a result of executed privatization and dynamism of emergence of new economic subjects – mainly small and mid sized enterprises.he main driver of growth is still the private sector. Direct foreign investments are of great significance to and accelerate the private sector development.

 

Achieved GDP growth of 6% in 2008, still ahead of the increase recorded in other EU countries. Bulgaria is on the fifth place among EU countries in terms of economic growth and is in a group of countries with the highest growth rate among EU countries. By category of GDP growth occurred in investment capital - in real terms by 21.7% in 2007, which has an 29.8% share of the total value of GDP. Individual Consumption increased by 5.1%.

 
 

Public debt at the end of 2008 amounted to 16.7% of GDP. In 2007, the gross added value realized by the operators of the national economy amounts to BGN 46.4 billion (over EUR 23.7 billion) and is higher by 6.3% compared to the value achieved in 2006. In the structure of the economy by value added, the largest participation is in the services sector (61.5%), industry (32.3%) and agriculture (6.2%). The highest growth was recorded in the dynamics of the industry, real growth in 2007 was 14% (for comparison, in 2006, 7.8%). According to the National Statistical Institute (NSI) the largest increase was observed in the following activities:
- Production of radio-television technology and telecommunications (85.3%),
- Manufacture of tobacco products (72%),
- Iron ore mining (71.1%)
- Production techniques of electronic calculators, and office space (49.3%),
- Production and transmission of electricity, gas, water and heating - 32.2%.
In the processing industry recorded a decrease of 2.7%.

 
 

Also there is a fall in agricultural production activity - in 2007 about 29.7% compared to 2006. According to data of the Bulgarian National Bank's balance of trade for the year 2007 is negative and amounts to 7.357 million, ie 25.5% of GDP. The deficit increased by EUR 1,794.7 million compared to 2006. Bulgaria exports in 2008 reached a 15 277.5 million EUR, which means a further increase compared to previous years (2007r. 13,473.6 million)., while the import is 24. 035.8 million EUR and rose by 13.6% compared to 2007.