Bulgaria’s government debt increased to EUR 13.35 B at the end of March, compared with EUR 11.60 B a month earlier, according to data from the Finance Ministry.

The increaseof EUR 1.75 B in nominal terms reflected the issuing of a EUR 1.994 B dual-tranche bond on March 14. The deal comprised a EUR 1.144 B seven-year tranche and a EUR 850 M 12-year tranche.

The transaction increased the government’s foreign debt to EUR 9.86 B at end-March from EUR 7.89 B at the end of the previous month, figures show.

Domestic government debt totalled EUR 3.49 B at end-March, a decrease compared with EUR 3.70 B at the end of February.

The government debt-to-GDP ratio was 29.3% at the end of March, compared with 25.7% a month earlier.

Eurobonds issued in international capital markets made up about 57% of total government debt at the end of March, followed by government securities issued on the domestic market (26%) and loans (17%).

By end-March government guaranteed debt totalled EUR 287.3 M in nominal terms, including domestic government guarantees of EUR 31.8 M.

In nominal terms, debt decreased by EUR 17.6 M compared to end-February as a result of disbursements of external government debt, the Finance Ministry said in a monthly debt bulletin for March.