!!!Bulgaria: Economy Bulgaria, a former communist country that entered the EU on 1 January 2007, averaged more than 6% annual growth from 2004 to 2008, driven by significant amounts of bank lending, consumption, and foreign direct investment. \\ \\ Successive governments have demonstrated a commitment to economic reforms and responsible fiscal planning, but the global downturn sharply reduced domestic demand, exports, capital inflows, and industrial production. GDP contracted by 5.5% in 2009, and has been slow to recover in the years since. \\ \\ Despite a favorable investment regime, including low, flat corporate income taxes, significant challenges remain. Corruption in public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime continue to hamper the country's investment climate and economic prospects. !!Economic Facts ||GDP (purchasing power parity)|$143.1 billion (2016 est.) \\ $138.9 billion (2015 est.) \\ $134.9 billion (2014 est.) \\ ''__note__'': data are in 2016 dollars \\ ||GDP (official exchange rate)|$50.45 billion (2015 est.) ||GDP - real growth rate|3% (2016 est.) \\ 3% (2015 est.) \\ 1.5% (2014 est.) ||GDP - per capita (PPP)|$20,100 (2016 est.) \\ $19,400 (2015 est.) \\ $18,700 (2014 est.) \\ ''__note__'': data are in 2016 dollars \\ ||Gross national saving|22.8% of GDP (2016 est.) \\ 22.7% of GDP (2015 est.) \\ 22.3% of GDP (2014 est.) ||GDP - composition, by end use|''household consumption'': 60.8% \\ ''government consumption'': 15.9% \\ ''investment in fixed capital'': 20.4% \\ ''investment in inventories'': 0.1% \\ ''exports of goods and services'': 69.1% \\ ''imports of goods and services'': -66.3% (2016 est.) \\ ||GDP - composition, by sector of origin|''agriculture'': 5.1% \\ ''industry'': 27.5% \\ ''services'': 67.5% (2016 est.) \\ ||Agriculture - products|vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets; livestock ||Industries|electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel ||Industrial production growth rate|2.8% (2016 est.) ||Labor force|2.525 million \\ ''__note__'': number of employed persons (2016 est.) \\ ||Labor force - by occupation|''agriculture'': 7% \\ ''industry'': 30.1% \\ ''services'': 62.9% (2014) \\ ||Unemployment rate|8.9% (2016 est.) \\ 10.1% (2015 est.) ||Population below poverty line|21.8% (2014 est.) ||Household income or consumption by percentage share|''lowest 10%'': 2% \\ ''highest 10%'': 35.2% (2007) \\ ||Distribution of family income - Gini index|35.4 (2013) \\ 31.2 (2005) ||Budget|''revenues'': $18.44 billion \\ ''expenditures'': $19.18 billion (2016 est.) \\ ||Taxes and other revenues|36.6% of GDP (2016 est.) ||Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)|-1.5% of GDP (2016 est.) ||Public debt|26.7% of GDP (2016 est.) \\ 26.7% of GDP (2015 est.) \\ ''__note__'': defined by the EU's Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities: currency and deposits, securities other than shares excluding f \\ ||Fiscal year|calendar year ||Inflation rate (consumer prices)|-0.7% (2016 est.) \\ -0.1% (2015 est.) ||Central bank discount rate|0.01% (31 December 2015) \\ 0.03% (31 December 2014) \\ ''__note__'': Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) has had no independent monetary policy since the introduction of the Currency Board regime in 1997; this is BNB's base interest rate \\ ||Commercial bank prime lending rate|6.6% (31 December 2016 est.) \\ 7.48% (31 December 2015 est.) ||Stock of narrow money|$20.38 billion (31 December 2016 est.) \\ $20.09 billion (31 December 2015 est.) ||Stock of broad money|$41.19 billion (31 December 2016 est.) \\ $41.28 billion (31 December 2015 est.) ||Stock of domestic credit|$28.96 billion (31 December 2016 est.) \\ $29.83 billion (31 December 2015 est.) ||Market value of publicly traded shares|$4.797 billion (31 December 2015 est.) \\ $5.45 billion (31 December 2014 est.) \\ $6.666 billion (31 December 2012 est.) ||Current account balance|$400 million (2016 est.) \\ $676 million (2015 est.) ||Exports|$26.1 billion (2016 est.) \\ $24.62 billion (2015 est.) ||Exports - commodities|clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels ||Exports - partners|Germany 12.5%, Italy 9.2%, Turkey 8.5%, Romania 8.2%, Greece 6.5%, France 4.2% (2015) ||Imports|$28.47 billion (2016 est.) \\ $26.74 billion (2015 est.) ||Imports - commodities|machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials ||Imports - partners|Germany 12.9%, Russia 12%, Italy 7.6%, Romania 6.8%, Turkey 5.7%, Greece 4.8%, Spain 4.8% (2015) ||Reserves of foreign exchange and gold|$25.12 billion (31 December 2016 est.) \\ $22.09 billion (31 December 2015 est.) ||Debt - external|$42.42 billion (31 December 2016 est.) \\ $42.5 billion (31 December 2015 est.) ||Stock of direct foreign investment - at home|$46.39 billion (31 December 2016 est.) \\ $44.29 billion (31 December 2015 est.) ||Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad|$4.79 billion (31 December 2016 est.) \\ $4.49 billion (31 December 2015 est.) ||Exchange rates|leva (BGN) per US dollar - \\ 1.802 (2016 est.) \\ 1.7644 (2015 est.) \\ 1.7644 (2014 est.) \\ 1.4742 (2013 est.) \\ 1.52 (2012 est.)