12.01.2012

ECB published today its long-term harmonized interest rate for 10-year sovereign bonds for. The long-term interest rate of Bulgaria declined from 5,27% to 5,23% in December 2011 according to ECB data published today. This has been the lowest rate figure since November 2008.

Bulgaria is among the thirteen countries whose interest rates declined, with Bulgaria's rate being now lower than the one of 12 other states - Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Cyprus, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and almost on one level with Slovakia (5,21%). This indicator ranks Bulgaria 14^th among the EU member states with lowest long-term interest rate, which is 5 places higher than 2010 when the country was ranked 19^th.  

Data about the long-term harmonized interest rate of EU member states is based on the yield of 10-year sovereign bonds. The value of the long-term interest rate is published in accordance with the Treaty of the European Community and is a Maastricht criterion. According to the published information, the peak of this indicator, since its started being measured for Bulgaria in 2003, was in August 2009 when it was 7.77 per cent.

The positive trend of declining long-term yield is indicative of the investor faith in the policies of fiscal consolidation and budget austerity pursued by the Government.