Bulgaria's minimum wage growth slows, and a new shield against property fraud is coming

Two stories dominated Bulgaria's business news this week for anyone with financial ties to the country: the pace of minimum wage increases is set to slow, and authorities are preparing measures to crack down on property fraud.

Slower wage growth ahead for 2027

According to Capital, Bulgaria's Finance Ministry has issued preliminary budget guidelines to other government departments setting the minimum wage for 2027 at around 660 euros per month, with a maximum insurable income ceiling of 2,400 euros. The figures are not final.

The projected growth in the minimum wage for 2027 would be single-digit, a noticeable slowdown after years of double-digit increases. Bulgaria's minimum wage has roughly doubled over the past five years as part of an EU-wide push to raise living standards in lower-income member states. For Bulgarians abroad who track wages at home as a benchmark for family support or a potential return, the figures suggest the pace of catch-up with Western European salaries is easing.

Separately, Capital also reports that Bulgaria's tax framework for cryptocurrency transactions is being tightened, in line with broader European standards.

Property fraud: a new package of measures

Capital reports that a new package of anti-fraud measures targeting the property market is being prepared. Scammers have exploited gaps in notary and registry systems to forge signatures, transfer titles without owners' knowledge, and trap buyers in disputes over encumbered apartments.

Many Bulgarians living in Germany, the UK, Spain, or elsewhere own property at home, often inherited or purchased as a retirement plan. Managing it from a distance leaves them exposed to such schemes. A tightened legal framework, if implemented, would directly affect remote owners who cannot easily monitor their assets.

On the broader economic picture, Capital's retail newsletter notes that Bulgaria recorded one of the highest inflation rates in the EU in July, with Eurostat data showing prices roughly 4.4 percent higher than a year earlier, surpassed only by Lithuania and Romania. The government has been floating methodologies for calculating a so-called fair price for basic goods, a move that economists quoted by Capital have criticized as administratively risky and economically counterproductive.

Meanwhile, Capital reports that the long-delayed bonus-malus system for car insurance is set to go live, rewarding drivers with clean records and penalizing those with claims history. Anyone who keeps a vehicle registered in Bulgaria will be affected by that change.