Summary
- Exports
- $50.9billion
- Imports
- $52.3billion
- Trade balance
- -$1.4billion
Products
What it exports
Refined petroleum (6.3%) and bombs, missiles and ammunition (4.7%) together make up 10.9% of its exports.
What it imports
Crude petroleum (7.6%) and copper ore (4.9%) together make up 12.5% of its imports.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $5.6 billion | $6.5 billion |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $5 billion | $5.8 billion |
| 74 · Copper | $4.8 billion | $1.4 billion |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $3.6 billion | $5.1 billion |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $2.9 billion | $123 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $1.9 billion | $141 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $1.7 billion | $3.5 billion |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $1.6 billion | $3 billion |
| 39 · Plastics | $1.5 billion | $2.2 billion |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $1.4 billion | $2.2 billion |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $1.3 billion | $926 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $961 million | $432 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $903 million | $1.7 billion |
| 70 · Glass | $902 million | $215 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $866 million | $550 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $780 million | $996 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $771 million | $721 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $692 million | $638 million |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $681 million | $374 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $662 million | $673 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $648 million | $584 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $641 million | $797 million |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $614 million | $623 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $568 million | $285 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $533 million | $521 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $522 million | $226 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $475 million | $408 million |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $446 million | $380 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $432 million | $587 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $430 million | $365 million |
| 44 · Wood | $394 million | $312 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $347 million | $668 million |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $334 million | $699 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $292 million | $227 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $285 million | $204 million |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $278 million | $475 million |
| 78 · Lead | $269 million | $99 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $245 million | $394 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $239 million | $196 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $232 million | $233 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $228 million | $541 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $218 million | $492 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $215 million | $397 million |
| 01 · Live animals | $208 million | $32 million |
| 79 · Zinc | $207 million | $33 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $206 million | $251 million |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $203 million | $213 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $165 million | $257 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $165 million | $389 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $164 million | $191 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $150 million | $411 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $144 million | $259 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $139 million | $354 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $135 million | $153 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $131 million | $94 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $130 million | $137 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $123 million | $192 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $120 million | $84 million |
| 51 · Wool | $118 million | $128 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $116 million | $331 million |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $103 million | $7 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $84 million | $44 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $78 million | $107 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $77 million | $165 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $75 million | $68 million |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $70 million | $154 million |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $59 million | $275 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $58 million | $135 million |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $41 million | $102 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $41 million | $101 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $33 million | $132 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $32 million | $177 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $27 million | $28 million |
| 65 · Hats | $26 million | $19 million |
| 81 · Other base metals | $24 million | $17 million |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $24 million | $33 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $19 million | $136 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $19 million | $64 million |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $15 million | $51 million |
| 75 · Nickel | $14 million | $18 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $14 million | $43 million |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $12 million | $45 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $8 million | $40 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $7 million | $11 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $6 million | $7 million |
| 14 · Other plant products | $5 million | $7 million |
| 45 · Cork | $5 million | $4 million |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $5 million | $11 million |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $4 million | $13 million |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $4 million | $12 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $4 million | $7 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $4 million | $17 million |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $4 million | $6 million |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $3 million | $3 million |
| 80 · Tin | $2 million | $13 million |
| 50 · Silk | $470 thousand | $6 million |
Trading partners
Its main destination is Germany (14.4% of exports) and its main source is China (10.7% of imports).
Who it sells to
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 5.6 | 10.7% | Sea |
| Germany | 5.2 | 9.9% | Sea |
| Turkey | 4.5 | 8.6% | Land |
| Italy | 2.8 | 5.3% | Sea |
| Romania | 2.5 | 4.7% | Land |
| Greece | 1.8 | 3.4% | Land |
| Poland | 1.7 | 3.2% | Sea |
| Kazakhstan | 1.6 | 3% | Sea |
| Netherlands | 1.3 | 2.4% | Sea |
| Ukraine | 1.3 | 2.4% | Sea |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Bulgaria accounted for 0.22% of world exports, compared with 0.08% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 12.5-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 50.9
- Imports 52.3
- Balance -1.4
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $4.1 billion | $4.1 billion | -$14 million |
| 1996 | $5.3 billion | $5.6 billion | -$213 million |
| 1997 | $5.5 billion | $5.7 billion | -$202 million |
| 1998 | $5 billion | $5.7 billion | -$705 million |
| 1999 | $4.6 billion | $6 billion | -$1.4 billion |
| 2000 | $5.4 billion | $5.5 billion | -$55 million |
| 2001 | $5.7 billion | $6.1 billion | -$428 million |
| 2002 | $6.5 billion | $7.1 billion | -$617 million |
| 2003 | $8 billion | $9.8 billion | -$1.8 billion |
| 2004 | $10.6 billion | $13.7 billion | -$3.1 billion |
| 2005 | $12.5 billion | $17.1 billion | -$4.6 billion |
| 2006 | $16.3 billion | $22.1 billion | -$5.8 billion |
| 2007 | $18.5 billion | $30.1 billion | -$11.6 billion |
| 2008 | $22.8 billion | $37.4 billion | -$14.6 billion |
| 2009 | $17.1 billion | $23.9 billion | -$6.7 billion |
| 2010 | $21.1 billion | $25.7 billion | -$4.7 billion |
| 2011 | $28.9 billion | $33.5 billion | -$4.6 billion |
| 2012 | $28.4 billion | $34.7 billion | -$6.4 billion |
| 2013 | $30.4 billion | $35.6 billion | -$5.2 billion |
| 2014 | $31.5 billion | $35.1 billion | -$3.6 billion |
| 2015 | $27.4 billion | $29.5 billion | -$2.2 billion |
| 2016 | $28.1 billion | $29.9 billion | -$1.8 billion |
| 2017 | $31.8 billion | $35.6 billion | -$3.7 billion |
| 2018 | $34.7 billion | $37.8 billion | -$3.1 billion |
| 2019 | $35.1 billion | $37.8 billion | -$2.7 billion |
| 2020 | $33.5 billion | $34.8 billion | -$1.3 billion |
| 2021 | $42.7 billion | $45.3 billion | -$2.6 billion |
| 2022 | $54.8 billion | $56.7 billion | -$1.9 billion |
| 2023 | $50.8 billion | $52.6 billion | -$1.8 billion |
| 2024 | $50.9 billion | $52.3 billion | -$1.4 billion |
World rank
Bulgaria rose from 67th to 59th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 67th in 1995
- 59th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 67th |
| 1996 | 65th |
| 1997 | 66th |
| 1998 | 70th |
| 1999 | 76th |
| 2000 | 73rd |
| 2001 | 74th |
| 2002 | 72nd |
| 2003 | 73rd |
| 2004 | 72nd |
| 2005 | 68th |
| 2006 | 67th |
| 2007 | 68th |
| 2008 | 69th |
| 2009 | 69th |
| 2010 | 69th |
| 2011 | 66th |
| 2012 | 67th |
| 2013 | 65th |
| 2014 | 65th |
| 2015 | 65th |
| 2016 | 64th |
| 2017 | 64th |
| 2018 | 65th |
| 2019 | 64th |
| 2020 | 60th |
| 2021 | 62nd |
| 2022 | 58th |
| 2023 | 59th |
| 2024 | 59th |
What it sells
Oil, gas and coal became its top export group: from 6% to 11%
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 47%
- Ores and slag 3%
- Vehicles 3%
- Cereals 4%
- Weapons and ammunition 6%
- Mechanical machinery 7%
- Copper 9%
- Electrical and electronic equipment 10%
- Oil, gas and coal 11%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Oil, gas and coal | 5.5% | 10.9% |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 2.6% | 9.8% |
| Copper | 8.6% | 9.4% |
| Mechanical machinery | 4.8% | 7.1% |
| Weapons and ammunition | 0.09% | 5.7% |
| Cereals | 2.6% | 3.7% |
| Vehicles | 0.69% | 3.2% |
| Ores and slag | 1.4% | 3.2% |
| Other | 73.8% | 46.9% |
Who it trades with
Romania went from 2% to 8% of Bulgaria's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- Germany 12%
- Romania 8%
- Turkey 7%
- China 7%
- Italy 6%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 17.6% | 12.1% |
| Romania | 1.8% | 8.2% |
| Turkey | 7.2% | 7.5% |
| China | 0.64% | 6.6% |
| Italy | 11.4% | 6.1% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
- Maritsa Iztok-2 power station
- Maritsa Iztok-1 power station
- Bobov Dol power station
Sources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.