Bulgarian National Bank
The Bulgarian National Bank (Bulgarian: Българска народна банка, romanized: Bulgarska narodna banka, IPA: [ˈbɤɫɡɐrskɐ nɐˈrɔdnɐ ˈbaŋkɐ], BNB) is the national central bank for Bulgaria within the Eurosystem. Before the country adopted the euro on 1 January 2026, it was responsible for issuing the former national currency, the lev.
Institutional profile
Institutional role and background
The Bulgarian National Bank (Bulgarian: Българска народна банка, romanized: Bulgarska narodna banka, IPA: [ˈbɤɫɡɐrskɐ nɐˈrɔdnɐ ˈbaŋkɐ], BNB) is the national central bank for Bulgaria within the Eurosystem. Before the country adopted the euro on 1 January 2026, it was responsible for issuing the former national currency, the lev. [3]
Headquartered in Sofia, the bank was established in 1879. It is the 13th-oldest continuously existing central bank in the world. The bank has a key role in the Bulgarian economy. An independent institution responsible for issuing all banknotes and coins in the country, BNB is tasked with safekeeping the government's currency reserves. It is also the sole owner of the Bulgarian Mint. [3]
In addition to its monetary role, the BNB is also a financial supervisory authority. In that capacity, it increasingly implements policies set at the European Union level. It has been the national competent authority for Bulgaria within European Banking Supervision since 2020. It is a voting member of the Board of Supervisors of the European Banking Authority (EBA). It is Bulgaria's designated National Resolution Authority and plenary session member of the Single Resolution Board (SRB). It provides the permanent single common representative for Bulgaria in the Supervisory composition of the General Board of the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA). It is also a member of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB). [3]
Selected introductory text by Wikipedia contributors — Bulgarian National Bank, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Official facts are cited separately.
Institutional history
Establishment date in the institutional background record. [2]
Source-supported connections
Frequently asked questions
When was Bulgarian National Bank established?
1879-01-25. See the linked source for the institutional record. [2]
Where is Bulgarian National Bank headquartered?
Sofia. See the linked source for the institutional record. [2]
Bulgarian National Bank connection map
Select a node to inspect the relationship and source.
Links retain their source-specific meaning. Award-time affiliations and links to related reading are not claims about current appointments or economic causation.
Sources and review dates
- Reference source ↗
- Wikidata background facts (CC0) ↗
- Wikipedia contributors — Bulgarian National Bank (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗
Reviewed 23 October 2026. Historical dates and award-time affiliations retain their original context. A review date is not an event date. Background sources are identified separately from official records.