Currency in circulation in our country decreased by 3.2 percent or 979.6 million leva compared to the end of last year 2024 to 30.098 billion leva at the end of the first quarter of this year 2025. This is indicated by the regular quarterly publication "Review of the issuance and cash activities of the BNB", published on the central bank's website.
The quarterly decrease in the value of currency in circulation at the beginning of each year is a traditional phenomenon. "In the first quarter of 2025, the dynamics of currency in circulation followed the seasonality that has emerged over the years. This period of the year is characterized by a negative emission result“, the BNB points out.
A decrease compared to the end of 2024 within the period January-March 2025 was recorded in all three months, respectively in January by 1.7 percent, in February - by 0.1 percent and in March - by 1.4 percent. On an annual basis, money in circulation recorded an increase of 4.2 percent. In nominal terms, the increase amounted to 1.204 billion leva compared to the end of the first quarter of 2024.
At the end of March 2025, the share of banknotes in the total value of money in circulation was 97.91 percent, and of exchange coins - 2.08 percent. In the first quarter of the year, the share of banknotes decreased by 0.07 percentage points at the expense of the same increase in the share of circulation coins.
The share of commemorative coins in the total value of money in circulation is 0.01 percent and remains unchanged compared to the end of 2024. The total value of banknotes in circulation amounted to 29.47 billion leva as of the end of March this year.
The value of circulation coins in circulation reached 626.4 million leva, and the value of commemorative coins was 1.8 million leva. At the end of March 2025, there were 583.7 million banknotes in circulation, which is 27.3 million pieces, or 4.5 percent less than at the end of 2024. Over the same period, their total value decreased by 3.2 percent.
Over a one-year period, the number of banknotes in circulation increased by 1.3 million (0.2 percent), and their value by 1.173 billion leva (4.2 percent). The average value of a banknote in circulation at the end of the first quarter of 2025 was 50.41 leva, which represents an increase of 0.65 leva compared to the end of 2024. Over a one-year period, its value increased by 1.90 leva, or 3.9 percent, due to the continued increase in the number of 100 leva banknotes in circulation and the simultaneous decrease in the number of 10, 20 and 50 leva banknotes, the BNB said.
The 50 leva banknote had the largest share (41.13 percent) in the total number of banknotes in circulation at the end of the first quarter of 2025, with 240.1 million banknotes of this denomination in circulation as of March 31. The number of 5 leva banknotes had the smallest share (5.73 percent).
At the end of March 2025, the total value of 100 leva banknotes outside the BNB's cash desks was 14.742 billion. BGN, which is the largest share (50.1 percent) in the structure by value of banknotes in circulation. The smallest share (0.57 percent) is the value of banknotes with a face value of BGN 5.
At the end of March 2025, there were 3.350 billion pieces of circulation coins in circulation, which are 11.6 million pieces, or 0.4 percent more than their number at the end of 2024. Over the same period, their total value increased by 1.9 million BGN, or 0.3 percent.
Compared to the end of March 2024, circulation coins in circulation increased by 101.6 million pieces (3.1 percent), and their value - by 31.6 million BGN (5.3 percent).