Bulgaria Sees 9% Drop in Banknotes Circulating Since Start of 2025

Banknotes circulating in Bulgaria have dropped by 9 percent since the start of 2025, falling to 556.78 million pieces by the end of August, according to the Bulgarian National Bank. At the close of 2024, the total number of banknotes was 611.06 million, meaning there are now 54.28 million fewer notes in circulation. This represents the lowest number of banknotes in nearly two and a half years, with the previous low recorded in March 2023 at 556.69 million. On a monthly basis, August saw a 0.76 percent decline compared to July.

Among denominations, the 50 and 100 leva notes are the most common, with 225.17 million and 138.21 million in circulation, respectively. The total value of all banknotes at the end of August stood at 27.7 billion leva, down almost 9 percent from the start of the year. By comparison, December 2024 saw a total value of 30.4 billion leva, a difference of 2.7 billion leva. This August value is the lowest in two years, with the previous low of 27.4 billion leva recorded in August 2023. Month-on-month, the value of banknotes dropped by 432.2 million leva, or 1.5 percent, from July. The 100 and 50 leva notes account for the bulk of the total value, amounting to 13.8 billion and 11.2 billion leva, respectively.

Meanwhile, the number of exchange coins in circulation has continued to rise. At the end of August, there were 3.38 billion coins with a combined value of 629 million leva. This represents an increase from the end of 2024, when 3.33 billion coins were in circulation, valued at 624.5 million leva. Coins are steadily growing in both quantity and total value as the year progresses.