Commercial and Economic Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Rome, Italy
Ivaylo Kojouharov
i.kojouharov@mi.government.bgCommercial and Economic Office in Milan, Italy
Andriana Koleva
a.koleva@mi.government.bg Contacts in the Ministry of Еconomy and Industry Vessela BayraktarovaHead of Europe Department
Foreign Economic Cooperation Directorate
tel.: +359 2 9407886
v.bairaktarova@mi.government.bg
Ketya Manoilova
State expert, Europe department
Foreign economic cooperation directorate
tel.: + 359 2 940 7823
k.manoilova@mi.government.bg
Economic relations between Bulgaria and Italy
- Trade turnover (mln. euro)
| Year | Export | Growth % | Import | Growth % | Total turnover | Growth % | Balance |
| 2011 | 1 720.7 | 13.9% | 1 667.1 | 17.6% | 3 387.8 | 15.7% | 53.6 |
| 2012 | 1 763.8 | 2.5% | 1 685.4 | 1.1% | 3 449.2 | 1.8% | 78.4 |
| 2013 | 1 925.3 | 9.2% | 1 921.5 | 14.0% | 3 846.7 | 11.6% | 3.8 |
| 2014 | 1 980.3 | 1.7% | 1 839.6 | -4.3% | 3 819.9 | -0.7% | 141.0 |
| 2015 | 2 135.5 | 7.8% | 1 996.7 | 8.5% | 4 132.2 | 8.2% | 138.8 |
| 2016 | 2 170.2 | 1.5% | 2 067.5 | 3.6% | 4 237.7 | 2.5% | 102.7 |
| 2017 | 2 212.2 | 1.9% | 2 006 | 6.2% | 4 069 | 4% | 57 |
| 2018 | 2 433.4 | 10.0% | 2 422.0 | 10.4% | 4 855.4 | 10.2% | 11.4 |
| 2019 | 2 186.6 | -10.0 | 2 509.0 | 3.4 | 4 695.5 | -3.3 | -322.4 |
| 2020 | 1 922.8 | -12.1 | 2 173.0 | -13.4 | 4 095.8 | -12.8 | -250.1 |
| 2021 | 2 621.6 | 36.4 | 2 589.9 | 18.9 | 5 211.4 | 27.1 | 31.7 |
| 2021 1-6 | 1257.7 | 1219.1 | 2476.8 | 38.6 | |||
| 2022 1-6 | 1894.2 | 50.6 | 1570.9 | 28.9 | 3465.1 | 39.9 | 323.3 |
Source: Ministry of Economy and Industry
- Italian investments in Bulgaria
According to the statistical data provided by the Bulgarian National Bank, the total amount of direct investments from Italy to Bulgaria until the end of the year 2021, is 2.92 billion euro.
In 2021 FDI from Italy to Bulgaria amounted to 186.5 million euro. For the first quarter of 2022, the BNB reports 113.5 million euros of investments originating from Italy, and in the second quarter of this year they have a negative value, -61.9 million euros.
- Tourism
| Year | Italian tourists in Bulgaria (border crossing) | % |
| 2011 | 105 740 | 4.0% |
| 2012 | 104 310 | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 108 603 | 4.1% |
| 2014 | 129 223 | 19.0% |
| 2015 | 132 245 | 2.3% |
| 2016 | 145 113 | 9.7% |
| 2017 | 163 566 | 12,7% |
| 2018 | 157 743 | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 156 564 | -0,7 |
| 2020 | 40 122 | -74,4% |
| 2021 | 55 725 | 38,9% |
| 2022 1-6 | 42 796 | 245,2% |
Source: Ministry of Tourism