Bulgaria plans to raise the minimum cigarette excise duty to €126 per 1,000 cigarettes in March 2027 and €132 per 1,000 cigarettes on Jan. 1, 2028, according to Bulgarian media reports. The increases follow an Aug. 1 adjustment that raised the rate from €113.51 to €120 per 1,000 cigarettes. A pack currently priced at €4 could increase by about 14 to 15 euro cents after the March 2027 hike, depending on manufacturers’ and retailers’ pricing decisions.
Under Bulgaria’s budget plan submitted to the European Commission, the accelerated excise schedule is expected to generate an additional €220.2 million in value-added tax and excise revenue in 2027, equivalent to 0.16% of gross domestic product. The increases are part of the tobacco excise schedule adopted under the 2026 State Budget Act.
