Тhe Base Interest Rate in Bulgaria stood at 5.23% in September 2008, rising by 1.14 percentage points compared to September 2007, data of the Bulgarian National Bank show.

The LEONIA Reference Rate amounted to 5.38%, rising by 1.14 percentage points in comparison with September 2007. In September 2008 the one-month SOFIBOR Reference Rate rose by 1.84 percentage points to 6.80% compared to September of the previous year, and the 3-month one rose by 2.07 percentage points to 7.32%.

In September 2008 the long-term interest rate for convergence purposes (LTIR) was 5.17%, rising by 0.73 percentage points compared to the same month of 2007.

In September 2008, compared to September of the previous year the average interest rate on loans up to EUR 1 million increased by 1.56 percentage points to 11.24% for the loans agreed in BGN and by 0.31 percentage points up to 9.06% for the loans agreed in EUR. The average interest rate on loans over 1 million EUR rose by 0.42 percentage points to 8.80% for loans agreed in BGN and by 0.43 percentage points to 8.42% for loans agreed in EUR.

In September 2008 the average interest rates on BGN consumer loans, BGN loans for house purchases, EUR loans for house purchases and on BGN other loans increased respectively by 2.09 percentage points to 11.59%, by 1.07 percentage points to 9.45%, by 0.59 percentage points to 8.00% and by 0.27 percentage points to 12.52% on September 2007.

The Annual percentage rate of charge on BGN consumer loans was 12.37%, rising by 1.34 percentage points compared to September 2007. The Annual percentage rate of charge on BGN loans for house purchases increased by 1.22 percentage points to 10.24% on September 2007 and that on EUR loans for house purchases increased by 0.81 percentage points to 8.88% in comparison with the same period of 2007.

The average interest rate on deposits with agreed maturity was 5.76%, rising by 2.03 percentage points in comparison with September 2007.

Compared to September 2007, the average interest rate on deposits with agreed maturity increased by 1.75 percentage points to 5.98%.

In September 2008 the average interest rate on BGN overdraft was 9.84%, rising by 1.14 percentage points in comparison with September 2007. The average interest rate on BGN loans other than overdraft increased by 1.06 percentage points to 10.60% while that on EUR loans other than overdraft increased by 0.01 percentage points to 8.80%.

The average interest rate on BGN overdraft decreased by 0.27 percentage points to 13.01% compared to September 2007. The average interest rate increased by 0.34 percentage points to 11.21% for BGN consumer loans, by 0.33 percentage points to 9.02% for BGN loans for house purchases and by 0.37 percentage points to 12.58% for BGN other loans while the average interest rate on EUR loans for house purchase decreased by 0.08 percentage points to 7.80%.

In September 2008 the average interest rate on overnight deposits increased by 0.17 percentage points to 0.79% compared to the same month of the previous year and that on deposits with agreed maturity increased by 1.52 percentage points to 5.27%. The average interest rate on deposits redeemable at notice decreased by 1.11 percentage points to 3.08%.

Compared to the same month of the previous year, the average interest rate on overnight deposits decreased by 0.03 percentage points to 0.89%, while that on deposits with agreed maturity increased by 0.90 percentage points to 5.37%. The average interest rate on deposits redeemable at notice increased by 0.90 percentage points to 3.49%