Bulgaria Ranks 38th out of 176 in 2026 Economic Freedom Index

Bulgaria ranked among the moderately free economies, scoring 68.9 points and placing 38th in the 2026 edition of the Index of Economic Freedom published by the Heritage Foundation. Economic freedom is defined as the ability of individuals to acquire and utilise economic resources without undue government interference.

Bulgaria's score for 2025 increased by 0.1 points among 176 countries, although it slipped one place from 37th. In Europe, it ranked 22nd out of 45 countries.

The Heritage Foundation assesses countries across four pillars and 12 categories, with a maximum possible score of 100. Bulgaria scored 61.6 for rule of law and 90.4 for government size.

The report notes that corruption and Russian influence in the energy sector and media remain significant challenges, while weak rule of law raises the cost of doing business.

Singapore retained first place with 84.4 points, followed by Switzerland, Ireland and Australia, all of which scored above 80.

Editor: Ivo Ivanov