Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) was 4.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Interest rate spread in Bulgaria, 2000–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in lending rate minus deposit rate, %.
Analysis
In 2025, interest rate spread in Bulgaria stood at 4.0%.
The figure is down 5.3% on the previous year and down 41.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest rate spread in Bulgaria peaked at 8.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2022.
Bulgaria ranks 89th of 141 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | lending rate minus deposit rate, % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.2% | — |
| 2001 | 8.2% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 6.4% | -21.8% |
| 2003 | 5.6% | -12.4% |
| 2004 | 5.8% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 5.6% | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 5.7% | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 6.3% | +10.4% |
| 2008 | 6.4% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 5.2% | -19.6% |
| 2010 | 7.1% | +37.0% |
| 2011 | 7.3% | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 6.6% | -8.7% |
| 2013 | 6.6% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6.6% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 6.8% | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 6.2% | -9.0% |
| 2017 | 5.4% | -13.3% |
| 2018 | 4.9% | -8.5% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 4.3% | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 4.1% | -5.2% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | -9.1% |
| 2023 | 4.3% | +16.3% |
| 2024 | 4.2% | -2.8% |
| 2025 | 4.0% | -5.3% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 4.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.1%, 1.3× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 4.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.0%, 1.0× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.3% | 5.2% | 8.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.2% | 4.5% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.1% | 3.7% | 4.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More financial sector data for Bulgaria
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 20.89 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0008 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 15.25 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 20.89 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is interest rate spread in Bulgaria?
- Interest rate spread in Bulgaria was 4.0% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest rate spread recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest interest rate spread recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2022.
- How does Bulgaria rank for interest rate spread?
- Bulgaria ranks 89th out of 141 countries with data for 2025.
- Is interest rate spread rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Interest rate spread is the interest rate charged by banks on loans to private sector customers minus the interest rate paid by commercial or similar banks for demand, time, or savings deposits. The terms and conditions attached to these rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability.