Typically for Eastern European countries, Bulgarian banking sector is characterized by relatively small size, small number of banks with wide business focus, high degree of concentration and high share of foreign capital.
The most commonly used ratio to measure the size of a banking sector, namely the ratio of consolidated banking assets to gross domestic product, for Bulgaria shows that its banking sector is roughly the same size as its national economy (the ratio is 107.09%). Most of the banks operating in Bulgaria are universal banks providing products and services in retail and corporate banking. Although there are no pure direct banks in Bulgaria, all banks offer their services via the Internet. There are also several digital-first banks that offer their services mainly online. Bulgaria is also part of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and TARGET systems.
Since 1 October 2020 Bulgaria is part of European Banking Union and since 10 July 2020 it is participant into ERM II Mechanism, a step before adopting the Euro as a national currency.
The following is a list of banks in Bulgaria.
Аll amounts are in BGN thousand.
Rank (2024) | Name | SWIFT (BIC) | Assets Jun 2023 [1] | Assets Sep 2023 [2] | Assets Dec 2023 [3] | Assets Mar 2024 [4] | Assets Jun 2024 [5] | Shareholders - over 10% (Mar 2024) [4] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | United Bulgarian Bank | UBBSBGSF | 31 372 505 | 32 535 403 | 34 041 583 | 34 676 690 | 34 844 252 | KBC BANK N.V., Kingdom of Belgium – 99,96% |
2. | DSK Bank | STSABGSF | 30 569 370 | 31 071 709 | 32 773 713 | 33 541 571 | 34 261 479 | OTP Bank RT, Hungary – 99.92% |
3. | UniCredit Bulbank | UNCRBGSF | 29 944 342 | 30 828 060 | 32 124 499 | 32 651 025 | 31 951 253 | UNICREDIT S.P.A., Republic of Italy – 99.45% |
4. | Eurobank Bulgaria (Postbank) | BPBIBGSF | 17 775 858 | 18 336 093 | 19 389 819 | 20 073 514 | 20 339 225 | Eurobank Ergasias S.A., Greece – 99,99% |
5. | First Investment Bank (Fibank) | FINVBGSF | 13 055 009 | 13 186 654 | 13 888 895 | 14 047 714 | 14 528 429 | Tzeko Todorov Minev, Republic of Bulgaria – 27.33% Ivaylo Dimitrov Mutafchiev, Republic of Bulgaria – 27.33% Bulgarian Development Bank, Republic of Bulgaria - 18.35% |
6. | Central Cooperative Bank | CECBBGSF | 7 891 195 | 8 017 131 | 8 189 817 | 8 404 738 | 8 713 044 | CCB Group EAD, Republic of Bulgaria – 61.05% |
7. | ProCredit Bank, Bulgaria | PRCBBGSF | 3 889 039 | 4 096 606 | 4 175 426 | 4 243 843 | 4 378 800 | ProCredit Holding AG, Federal Republic of Germany – 100% |
8. | Allianz Bank Bulgaria | BUINBGSF | 3 763 962 | 3 916 914 | 3 945 650 | 4 066 706 | 4 169 829 | Allianz Bulgaria Holding JSC, Republic of Bulgaria – 99.9% |
9. | Investbank | IORTBGSF | 2 862 274 | 3 016 658 | 3 164 646 | 3 288 191 | 3 262 768 | Festa Holding JSC, Republic of Bulgaria – 83.8% Petia Ivanova Barakova-Slavova, Republic of Bulgaria – 10.68% |
10. | TBI Bank | TBIBBGSF | 2 433 944 | 2 663 458 | 2 906 515 | 3 102 841 | 3 233 460 | TBIF Financial Services B.V., Kingdom of the Netherlands – 100% |
11. | Bulgarian-American Credit Bank | BGUSBGSF | 2 521 852 | 2 398 432 | 2 790 176 | 2 880 758 | 2 892 490 | CSIF JSC, Republic of Bulgaria – 45.67% LTBI HOLDINGS LLC, USA – 33.45% |
12. | Bulgarian Development Bank | NASBBGSF | 3 080 974 | 2 829 432 | 2 800 224 | 2 632 661 | 2 785 815 | Ministry of Innovation and Growth, Republic of Bulgaria – 100% |
13. | International Asset Bank | IABGBGSF | 2 247 382 | 2 426 817 | 2 486 860 | 2 490 416 | 2 614 562 | Dynatrade International Ltd, Republic of Bulgaria – 33% |
14. | Municipal Bank PLC | SOMBBGSF | 2 218 605 | 2 221 322 | 2 368 046 | 2 435 404 | 2 546 155 | NOVITO OPPORTUNITIES FUND AGMVK, Principality of Liechtenstein – 96.51% |
15. | D Commerce Bank | DEMIBGSF | 1 762 674 | 1 744 060 | 1 660 030 | 2 240 672 | 2 196 000 | Fuat Güven (Fuat Hyusniev Osmanov), Republic of Bulgaria – 55.52% FORTERA EAD, Republic of Bulgaria – 44.48% |
16. | Citibank Europe, Bulgaria Branch | CITIBGSF | 1 829 131 | 2 009 098 | 1 746 407 | 1 913 291 | 1 892 688 | Citibank Europe Plc., Republic of Ireland – 100% |
17. | ING Bank N.V., Sofia Branch | INGBBGSF | 1 350 809 | 1 371 093 | 1 255 596 | 1 341 679 | 1 489 072 | ING Bank N.V., Kingdom of the Netherlands – 100% |
18. | Texim Bank | TEXIBGSF | 599 154 | 608 090 | 645 410 | 630 154 | 659 470 | Web Finance Holding AD, Republic of Bulgaria – 16.64% |
19. | BNP Paribas S.A. – Sofia Branch | BNPABGSX | 861 723 | 768 516 | 728 392 | 678 282 | 637 227 | BNP Paribas S.A., Republic of France – 100% |
20. | Tokuda Bank | CREXBGSF | 467 168 | 473 680 | 485 465 | 498 475 | 503 381 | Tokushukai Incorporated, Japan – 99.94% |
21. | T.C. Ziraat Bank, Sofia Branch | TCZBBGSF | 384 346 | 363 903 | 416 158 | 410 836 | 390 775 | T.C. Ziraat Bankasi A.Ş., Ankara, Republic of Turkey – 100% |
22. | Varengold Bank AG, Sofia Branch | VGAGBGSF | 71 910 | 89 539 | 72 468 | 76 202 | 96 738 | Varengold Bank AG, Federal Republic of Germany – 100% |
23. | Bigbank AS, Bulgaria Branch | BIGKBGSF | 15 177 | 16 820 | 20 906 | 23 397 | 33 800 | Bigbank AS, Estonia – 100% |
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