Bulgaria’s energy sector experienced a notable contraction in electricity generation in December 2025, with output plummeting by 32.6% compared to the previous month, amounting to 3,673 GWh. This decline comes at a time when electricity consumption surged by 19.6% month-on-month, reaching 3,570 GWh. The shift highlights a growing reliance on alternative energy sources as natural gas consumption also increased significantly, rising by 18.5% to 314 million cubic meters, while domestic gas production remained static at 1 million cubic meters.
From an annual perspective, the figures reveal a 3.9% decrease in electricity production compared to December 2024, while consumption saw a slight uptick of 0.4%. The year-on-year increase in natural gas consumption of 6.1% underscores heightened demand during the winter months, reflecting broader trends in energy usage patterns.
The oil products sector showed mixed results during this period. Production of unleaded petrol rose by 9.5%, totaling 92,000 tons, while consumption surged by an impressive 28.6%, reaching 63,000 tons. Conversely, diesel production fell by 5.2% to 164,000 tons, although its consumption increased marginally by 1.3%, totaling 232,000 tons.
A contrasting trend was observed in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) market, where consumption decreased by 5%, amounting to 38,000 tons. This occurred despite a significant production increase of 33.3%, which reached 4,000 tons. Additionally, solid fuels output expanded by 16.4%, totaling 1,821 thousand tons, with consumption also rising by 17.6%, reaching 1,914 thousand tons. This indicates a robust demand for traditional energy sources amid fluctuating electricity production.
The developments in Bulgaria’s energy landscape reflect ongoing challenges and shifts within the sector as it navigates changing consumption patterns and the implications of increased fuel demand during the colder months.
