Bulgaria's publishing sector expanded modestly in 2025, with nearly 9,000 books released during the year, while the number of printed newspapers continued to decline, according to new figures from the National Statistical Institute (NSI), cited by BGNES.
The data show that publishers released 8,939 books with a total print run of 4.4 million copies, along with 1,328 brochures totaling more than 874,000 copies. Combined, books and brochures reached 10,267 editions, an increase of 124 titles, or 1.2%, compared with 2024.
New publications continued to dominate the market. Of all books published in 2025, 7,889 were first editions with a circulation of nearly 2.95 million copies, while 1,050 were reprints totaling almost 1.5 million copies. Among brochures, publishers issued 1,211 new editions and 117 reprints.
Fiction remained the largest category in Bulgarian publishing. During the year, 2,743 fiction titles for adults were released with a combined circulation exceeding 1.1 million copies, accounting for 26.7% of all books and brochures published. Scientific literature ranked second with 2,663 titles, representing 25.9% of total output, followed by popular literature with 2,066 titles, or 20.1%.
