Bulgaria's Creative Industries See Strong Economic Growth

Bulgaria ranks among the top EU countries with significant contributions from the creative industries sector, contributing nearly 7% to the country's economy in 2023, up from 4.1% in 2008, according to Diana Andreeva, Director of the Culture Economics Observatory, CE Report quotes BTA

Andreeva shared insights at the Createch Summit South-East Europe 2025, a conference focused on creative industries. Hosted by Toplocentrala contemporary art center, the forum gathered 600 participants from 16 countries.

The economic impact of creative industries in Bulgaria has seen a substantial rise, with the sector’s value added reaching BGN 7.04 billion in 2023, compared to just BGN 1.57 billion in 2008. Sofia alone accounts for BGN 5.84 billion, a significant growth from BGN 1.26 billion.

Additionally, the number of registered enterprises in cultural and creative industries has grown from 15,537 in 2008 to 25,772 in 2023, with a large concentration in Sofia. The sector has fully recovered from the COVID crisis, employing over 115,000 people in 2023, with an additional 100,000 temporarily employed.

The conference was supported by the Ministry of Tourism and the Executive Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), among other partners.