Development Co‑operation Profiles: Bulgaria
Table of contents
Bulgaria has been a development co-operation provider since joining the European Union (EU) in 2007. Bulgaria’s objectives for development co-operation are guided by its multilateral commitments to be a consistent, reliable and predictable partner in the fight against poverty and in promoting sustainable development globally in the Middle East, Asia and Africa and in support of neighbouring countries, including by sharing its own experience in sustainable development. Bulgaria’s total official development assistance (ODA) (USD 144 million, preliminary data) decreased in 2024, representing 0.14% of gross national income (GNI).
This profile presents verified data on development assistance allocation. See the Development Co-operation Profiles.
The overarching policy framework for Bulgaria’s development co-operation is determined by its national priorities, as well as its obligations under fundamental EU instruments and its commitments to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In addition, Decree No. 234/2011 on Bulgaria’s policy on participating in international development co-operation defines the goals, principles (including partnership, affiliation, concentration, conditionality, effectiveness, transparency and non-discrimination), mechanisms and institutional framework of Bulgaria’s development co-operation and humanitarian aid. It also provides guidelines for planning, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and auditing Bulgaria’s development co‑operation. Bulgaria develops medium-term programmes for its development co-operation and humanitarian aid detailing priorities, financial allocations and expected outcomes.
The Mid-Term Programme for Development Assistance and Humanitarian Aid 2020-2024 acknowledges the need for Bulgarian development assistance and humanitarian aid to prioritise activities related to mitigating the health, economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and expands the range of beneficiaries, with additional countries from North Africa (Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia) and sub-Saharan Africa (Angola, Ethiopia, Namibia and Nigeria). The next mid-term programme is currently under development. In 2023, the Bulgarian development co-operation and humanitarian aid policy remained significantly affected by major global crises demanding increased attention and resources, such as Russian’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the humanitarian situation in the Middle East.
Bulgaria provided USD 144 million (preliminary data) of ODA in 2024 (USD 133.6 million in constant terms) representing 0.14% of GNI.1 This was a decrease of 21.3% in real terms in volume and a decrease in the share of GNI from 2023. Bulgaria is not on track to meet its commitment to reach 0.33% of GNI by 2030 as part of the collective EU commitment to achieve a 0.7% ODA/GNI ratio by 2030. Within Bulgaria’s ODA portfolio in 2023, 100% was provided in the form of grants.2
Note: This table only includes information about ODA data-related DAC recommendations. ODA: official development assistance; GNI: gross national income.
Bulgaria provided a major share of its ODA multilaterally in 2023. Gross bilateral ODA was 16.1% of total ODA disbursements. Four per cent of gross bilateral ODA was channelled through multilateral organisations (earmarked contributions).
In 2023, Bulgaria provided USD 143.6 million of gross ODA to the multilateral system, an increase of 36.1% in real terms from 2022. Of this, USD 142.4 million was core multilateral ODA (83.9% of total ODA), while USD 1.1 million was non-core contributions earmarked for a specific country, region, theme or purpose. Project-type funding earmarked for a specific theme and/or country accounted for 4.9% of Bulgaria’s non-core contributions and 95.1% was programmatic funding (to pooled funds and specific-purpose programmes and funds).
The United Nations (UN) system received two per cent of Bulgaria’s contributions to multilateral organisations, of which USD 600 thousand (20.7%) represented earmarked contributions. Out of a total volume of USD 2.9 million to the UN system, the top three UN recipients of Bulgaria’s support (core and earmarked contributions) were the United Nations Secretariat (USD 900 thousand), the International Labour Organization (USD 300 thousand), and Food and Agriculture Organization (USD 200 thousand).
See the section on Geographic, sectoral and thematic focus of ODA for the breakdown of bilateral allocations, including ODA earmarked through the multilateral development system.
In 2023, Bulgaria’s bilateral spending considerably declined compared to the previous year. It provided USD 27.3 million of gross bilateral ODA (which includes earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations). This represented a decrease of 82.3% in real terms from 2022.
In 2023, country programmable aid amounted to USD 900 thousand, or 3.2% of Bulgaria’s gross bilateral ODA, compared to the non-DAC country average of 37.7%. In-donor refugee costs were USD 24 million in 2023, representing 87.8% of Bulgaria’s gross bilateral ODA. This was a decrease of 81% in real terms over 2022.
In 2023, Bulgaria channelled its bilateral ODA mainly through the public sector.
In 2023, civil society organisations (CSOs) received USD 900 thousand of gross bilateral ODA, of which 30.7% was directed to developing country-based CSOs. Overall, 0.7% of gross bilateral ODA was allocated to CSOs as core contributions and 2.5% was channelled through CSOs to implement projects initiated by the donor (earmarked funding). From 2022 to 2023, the combined core and earmarked contributions for CSOs increased as a share of bilateral ODA, from 0.9% to 3.1%. Learn more about the DAC Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid.
In 2023, Bulgaria’s bilateral ODA primarily focused on ODA-eligible countries in Europe. USD 2.3 million was allocated to ODA-eligible countries in Europe (of which 9.1% was for Ukraine) and USD 300 thousand to Asia (excluding the Middle East), accounting respectively for 8.5% and 1.2% of gross bilateral ODA. USD 300 thousand was allocated to the Middle East. Europe was also the main regional recipient of Bulgaria’s earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations. This is only partially in line with Bulgaria’s regional development co-operation priorities.
In 2023, only 9.2% of gross bilateral ODA went to Bulgaria’s top 10 recipients. This is a further decrease compared to previous years, due to the large share of support to refugees in donor countries. Its top 10 recipients are mostly in Europe (Eastern Europe and Western Balkans), where Bulgaria has programmes with 12 countries, in line with its focus on its immediate neighbourhood and its policy priorities. The share of gross bilateral ODA not allocated by country was 89.2%, of which 98.5% consisted of expenditures for processing and hosting refugees in provider countries.
In 2023, Bulgaria allocated 0.01% of its GNI to the least developed countries (LDCs). Bulgaria allocated the highest share of gross bilateral ODA (8.3%) to upper middle-income countries in 2023, noting that 89.2% was unallocated by income group. LDCs received 0.6% of Bulgaria’s gross bilateral ODA (USD 200 thousand). Additionally, Bulgaria allocated 2.2% of gross bilateral ODA to land-locked developing countries in 2023, equal to USD 600 thousand.
In 2024, Bulgaria provided USD 4.8 million of net bilateral ODA to Ukraine to respond to the impacts of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
In 2023, most of Bulgaria’s bilateral ODA was allocated to support to refugees in donor countries (USD 24 million, under other macro sectors). Investments in other sectors accounted for 87.8% of bilateral ODA commitments. ODA for humanitarian assistance totalled USD 2.2 million, with a focus on emergency response (USD 2.1 million). Social infrastructure and services amounted to USD 900 thousand (3.2% of bilateral ODA). Earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations focused also on production sectors and other macro sectors in 2023.
Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) is an international statistical standard that monitors and increases transparency of all official and officially supported resources for financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries, as well as for addressing global challenges. In 2023, activities reported by Bulgaria as TOSSD totalled USD 172.2 million, down from USD 260.7 million in 2022. Bulgaria’s TOSSD activities mostly targeted SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals), SDG 1 (no poverty) and SDG 3 (good health and well-being). Activity-level data on TOSSD by recipient are available at: https://tossd.online.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in particular the Co-operation for Development Department in the Foreign Economic Relations and Development Co-operation Directorate, leads and co-ordinates Bulgaria’s development co-operation activities. In co-operation with line ministries, it elaborates ODA policies and annual action plans and negotiates agreements with partner countries. In addition, the inter-institutional International Development Co-operation Council, a consultative body created in 2007, assists the Minister of Foreign Affairs in programming and promoting Bulgaria’s development co-operation.
Civil society organisations active in development co-operation, humanitarian assistance and global citizenship education co-ordinate under the umbrella body, the Bulgarian Platform for International Development (BPID).
Access the full list of providers at this link: Development Co-operation Profiles.
Bulgaria’s Mid-Term Programme 2020-2024 for Development Assistance and Humanitarian Aid 2020‑2024: https://www.mfa.bg/en/3949
Bulgaria’s Decree No. 234/2011 on Bulgaria’s Policy on Participating in International Development Co‑operation: https://legislation.apis.bg/doc/491220/0#46674618
Bulgarian Platform for International Development (BPID): https://bpid.eu/en
Bulgaria has been an OECD Accession candidate since 2022. On 25 January 2022, the OECD Council decided to open accession discussions with Bulgaria and five other countries, taking into account the criteria of like-mindedness, significant player, mutual benefit and global considerations and recognising these countries’ progress toward fulfilling the criteria outlined in the Framework for Consideration of Prospective Members.
Bulgaria has been a Participant of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) since 2018.
Bulgaria has been reporting to the OECD at aggregate level since 2010 and at activity level since 2023 on 2022 activities.
Bulgaria is an adherent to the OECD Recommendation of the Council for Development Co-operation Actors on Managing the Risk of Corruption; the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas; the OECD Declaration on Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Development Co-operation; the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions; and the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Foreign Direct Investment Qualities for Sustainable Development. Learn more about OECD legal instruments and DAC Recommendations.
Bulgaria participated in the 2025 DAC High Level Meeting.
The methodological notes provide further details on the definitions and statistical methodologies applied, including the grant-equivalent methodology, core and earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations, country programmable aid, channels of delivery, bilateral ODA unspecified/unallocated, bilateral allocable ODA, the gender equality policy marker, and the environment markers.
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← 1. DAC members adopted the grant-equivalent methodology starting from their reporting of 2018 data as a more accurate way to count the donor effort in development loans. See the methodological notes for further details.
← 2. Non-grants include sovereign loans, multilateral loans, equity investment and loans to the private sector.