UNWE Business Barometer: 43% of the Companies in Bulgaria Expect 2025 to be a Better Year for Them

The current state of the Bulgarian companies and the business environment, an assessment of the past year compared to the previous one, the expectations of the Bulgarian business for 2025 and the main problems facing the companies were presented in the UNWE research entitled Business Barometer 2024 - 2025.

The survey aims to observe the business attitudes and to serve as a basis for economic analyses that outline prospects for the development of the labour market, the education system and the economic environment.

The Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov opened the event and outlined that such studies are important not only for the University, they are of national importance and are necessary for Bulgaria because they have great potential, as they are independent and give a real basis for analysis, from which specific proposals for improving the economic environment can be given. "As the largest business university in Bulgaria and Southeastern Europe, which celebrates its 105th Anniversary this year, such research is appropriate to the UNWE. That is why yesterday we applied to the Patent Office for registration of a trademark to be called “UNWE Business Barometer”. I hope that this research will become a tradition, because it is important to know the expectations of the Bulgarian business", pointed out Prof. Dimitrov.

The study was presented by Prof. D.Sc. Simeon Zhelev, Head of the project Business Barometer and lecturer at the Marketing and Strategic Planning Department, and Prof. Dr. Galina Mladenova, member of the project team, lecturer at the Marketing and Strategic Planning Department and Director of the UNWE Research Center for Marketing.

Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Prof. D.Sc. Simeon Zhelev, Prof. Dr. Galina Mladenova

Prof. D.Sc. Simeon Zhelev introduced to the attendees the objectives and methodology of the project Business Barometer. He noted that the it is a longitudinal empirical study financed by the UNWE Scientific Research Fund which aims to assess the current state of the Bulgarian business and business environment and to explore the expectations of the business through the eyes of the managers. The pilot survey of the project was in 1999 and 12 consecutive surveys were completed in the subsequent years from 2000 to 2011. In each survey, a sample of managers of around 800 companies from all sectors and industries were studies. In 2023, the project was relaunched in the research programme of the UNWE Research Fund.

The data collection methods in the current survey are an online and offline structured study with a questionnaire containing 34 questions and 150 variables.

Assessment of the current state of Bulgarian companies

Comparative assessment of the state of the business environment in 2024 compared to 2023

Conclusions on the state of the business environment in 2024 compared to 2023

Business expectations for 2025

The majority of companies /43%/ expect 2025 to be better for them.

38% expect 2025 to be the same as 2024, and around 19% expect it to be worse.

Issues hindering the business

Each survey of the project also explores the impact of bad events on the business. In the current study these are the incorporation of the euro, the failure to establish a stable government in the recent years, the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan.

The full presentation containing the results and data from the UNWE research

Business Barometer 2024 - 2025 can be seen HERE.

The event was broadcast live on the UNWE Facebook page.

You can watch the full event video HERE.