Price of Consumer Basket in Bulgaria Increased by 1 BGN over a Week

The consumer basket in Bulgaria has risen by one lev over the past week, reaching 97 leva, according to data from the State Commission on Commodity Exchanges and Wholesale Markets.

Which products have seen the sharpest price increases and which have become cheaper?

Commission chairman Vladimir Ivanov stated that the market is functioning normally, with no shortages of essential goods, fruits, or vegetables. He also stressed that there are no cartel agreements and, if such practices were to emerge, the competent authorities are in place to intervene.

A comparison was made today both on a weekly basis and over the last four months, focusing on key food products.

For the last 4 months, from May to now, until 20 September, there has been an increase in the price of sunflower oil. The sunflower harvest is currently under way, and although this year’s yield is expected to be weaker, Bulgaria usually produces surplus quantities. Coupled with a good harvest across Europe, it is likely that imports will also ease supply pressures, meaning no significant rise in oil prices is expected.

Eggs and cheese have also become more expensive. Among fruit, lemons and peaches have gone up in price, while cucumbers have seen the steepest increase among vegetables.

Vladimir Ivanov noted:
“Among staple foods, beans are up by 3 stotinki, pork by 20 stotinki, chicken by 18 stotinki, fresh milk by 4 stotinki, cheese by 18 stotinki, butter by 2 stotinki, yellow cheese by 19 stotinki, and sunflower oil by 5 stotinki. Prices that have dropped include rice (down 2 stotinki), sugar (down 5 stotinki), and yoghurt (down 1 stotinka). Eggs and flour have remained stable compared with last week. Yes, there are differences of over 300% — in some markets, prices are that high, while in others they are even below wholesale. That’s precisely why we provide wholesale prices — to help consumers make rational choices.”