The profit of the banking system in Bulgaria stood at 3.367 billion leva (1.7 billion euros) for the past five years (2003 - 2007), show data by the Bulgarian National Bank and Profit.bg.

Nearly 34% of that figure was accrued in 2007 (1.143 bln leva). 2006 and 2005 make for 24% and 17% respectively. Profit in 2006 stood at 807.59 mln leva and in 2005 at 585.24 mln leva.

Back in 2004 profit amounted to 434 mln leva, which is 13% of the total figure above and in 2004 it was 397.8 mln leva, or 12%.

The weakest quarter for the banking system in past five years has been July – September 2003, which resulted in just 75 mln leva. Profit was also below 100 million in April – June 2003 and in October – December 2004 (93.07 million leva and 98.77 million leva respectively).

In spite of the crisis in the banking sector, the strongest quarters are the most recent ones.

Banks ended 2007 Q3 with profit of 364 mln leva, while earnings for the first two quarters of 2008 came to 359 million and 369.55 mln leva.

We must note that Jan – June 2008 profit is larger than in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and is by 79 mln leva less than the total earnings for 2006.

The average quarterly profit for the 2003 -2007 period stands at 168.36 mln leva (86.08 mlneuros), or 56.12 mln leva (28.6 mln euros) per month.

PeriodTotalQuarterlyJanuary – March 2003125,42125,42April – June 2003218,4993,07July – September 2003293,6675,18October – December 2003 397,82104,15


January March 2004 114,16114,16April – June 2004 224,08109,92July September 2004335,35111,27October – December 2004 434,1198,77


January – March 2005128,89128,89April – June 2005277,48148,59July – September 2005461,52184,04October – December 2005584,24122,71


January – March 2006213,66213,66April – June 2006341,97128,31July – September 2006529,43187,46October – December 2006807,59278,16


January – March 2007238,97238,97April – June 2007490,45251,49July – September 2007855,01364,55October – December 2007 1143,56288,55


January – March 2008359359April – June 2008728,55369,55

*Source: Bulgarian National Bank (profit is in thousand BGN)
Photo: Profit.bg