| 1 $ = | Start | 07/11/2026 | Change | |
| Last 24 hours | 1.6909 лв | ⇨ | 1.6909 лв | +0% |
| Last week | 1.6909 лв | ⇨ | 1.6909 лв | +0% |
| Last month | 1.6699 лв | ⇨ | 1.6909 лв | +1.26% |
| Last year | 1.6742 лв | ⇨ | 1.6909 лв | +0.99% |
| Currency | 07/04/2026 | 07/11/2026 | Change | |
| Venezuelan Bolívar (VES) | 638.9 Bs. | ⇨ | 708.81 Bs. | +10.94% |
| Seychellois Rupee (SCR) | 13.466 SR | ⇨ | 14.565 SR | +8.16% |
| Papua New Guinean Kina (PGK) | 4.3946 K | ⇨ | 4.4688 K | +1.69% |
| Afghan Afghani (AFN) | 64 Af | ⇨ | 65 Af | +1.56% |
| Gambian Dalasi (GMD) | 72.504 D | ⇨ | 73.504 D | +1.38% |
| Belarusian Ruble (BYN) | 2.9023 Br | ⇨ | 2.8615 Br | -1.4% |
| New Zealand Dollar (NZD) | 1.7522 NZ$ | ⇨ | 1.7273 NZ$ | -1.43% |
| Zambian Kwacha (ZMW) | 18.38 ZK | ⇨ | 18.044 ZK | -1.83% |
| South Korean Won (KRW) | 1,528.8 ₩ | ⇨ | 1,499.2 ₩ | -1.94% |
| Colombian Peso (COP) | 3,363.7 $ | ⇨ | 3,294.7 $ | -2.05% |
| See also: 24h, monthly and yearly currency moves | ||||
| Currency name | Bulgarian Lev |
| Symbol | лв |
| Also known as | BGN, Bulgarian Lev, 1 BGN = 100 stotinki |
| ISO code | BGN |
| Banknotes | 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 лв |
| Coins | 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 stotinki; 1, 2 лв |
| Central bank | Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) - Website: www.bnb.bg |
| Countries | 1 country: Bulgaria (capital: Sofia, major cities: Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas) |
| Population | 7 mil. |
History
Bulgaria's currency, the lev (plural: leva), takes its name from the Bulgarian word for "lion" — the same etymology as the Romanian leu and many other regional currencies. Though Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, it is among the few members that have not yet adopted the euro, having instead pegged the lev to the euro at a fixed rate of 1.95583 BGN per EUR since 1999, a legacy of a currency board arrangement that restored financial stability after a catastrophic crisis.
The lev was first introduced in 1881, shortly after Bulgaria's liberation from Ottoman rule in 1878. Modelled on the Latin Monetary Union's standards, it was initially tied to gold and silver. Bulgaria experienced monetary disruption during both World Wars, but the postwar communist government established a new socialist monetary system under the Bulgarian National Bank.
Under communism (1946–1989), the lev was a non-convertible command-economy currency with artificial exchange rates. After the transition to democracy in 1989–1990, Bulgaria struggled with economic chaos. In 1996–1997, a banking collapse triggered hyperinflation — the lev lost 90% of its value in months, and monthly inflation reached 243% in February 1997.
Bulgaria's response was radical: a currency board was established in July 1997, fixing the lev first to the German mark (at 1,000:1 after redenomination) and then, when the euro replaced the mark, to the euro at the current rate. This arrangement leaves the Bulgarian National Bank no discretion to print money or set interest rates, ensuring monetary stability at the cost of exchange rate flexibility.
Sources:
"Bulgarian lev", Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgarian_lev
"Currency board", Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currency_board