Bulgaria
EU and NATO member
The Republic of Bulgaria is a country located in Southeast Europe, on the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. Its territory covers an area of 110,993.6 square kilometers, and its population was 6,445,481 in 2023. The country's capital is Sofia.
Historically, Bulgaria was founded as the First Bulgarian Empire in 681, and then experienced a period of Ottoman rule until gaining independence in 1878. After 1989, the country began democratization, and in the 21st century, it actively integrated into European and global structures.
2004
The country became a full member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
2007
Bulgaria became a member state of the European Union
2008
Bulgaria introduced a flat income tax of 10%, which is one of the lowest in the EU
2024
The lowest level of consumer goods and services prices among EU countries was recorded, which was 40% lower than the average
2025
Bulgaria became a full member of the Schengen Area on January 1
2026
Approval was received for the introduction of the euro as the official currency on January 1
