Bulgaria Posts One of EU’s Sharpest Producer Price Surges in January

Industrial producer prices across the euro area and the European Union moved higher in January 2026 on a monthly basis, yet remained below their levels from a year earlier, according to Eurostat data. In contrast, Bulgaria recorded one of the most pronounced increases both compared to December and year-on-year.

In the eurozone, producer prices advanced by 0.7% in January compared with the previous month, while in the EU the rise reached 0.8%. This followed declines of 0.3% and 0.4% respectively in December 2025.

Bulgaria, however, registered a significantly sharper monthly jump. Industrial producer prices climbed by 7.1% in January after a 1.4% increase in December. Among EU member states, only Estonia reported a stronger monthly surge, with prices rising by 13.7%.

On an annual basis, the overall European trend remained negative. Compared with January 2025, producer prices in the euro area fell by 2.1%, deepening slightly from the 2.0% drop recorded a month earlier. Across the EU, the annual decline stood at 1.9%, matching December’s decrease.

Bulgaria again diverged from this pattern. Producer prices in the country increased by 11.7% year-on-year in January 2026, accelerating from a 9.8% rise at the end of 2025. Here too, Estonia was the only country with a slightly stronger annual increase, at 11.9%.