Bulgaria Set to Join Euro Zone in 2026 as EU Gives Support

Customers at outdoor cafe tables in Sofia, Bulgaria.Photographer: Michaela Vatcheva/Bloomberg

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By Alexander Weber and Slav Okov

June 4, 2025 at 11:04 AM UTC

Updated on

June 4, 2025 at 1:40 PM UTC

The euro zone is set to continue its eastward expansion after Bulgaria was deemed ready to become the currency bloc’s 21st member.

The European Commission recommended on Wednesday that the Black Sea nation of 6.4 million should be allowed to adopt the common currency in 2026. The European Union’s executive arm and the European Central Bank said in separate reports that all the requirements on issues including inflation and public debt had been fulfilled.