• In 2022, of every BGN 100 Bulgarians invested BGN 3.22 on the capital markets; 10 years earlier, this indicator was BGN 1.02.
• The share of assets, directed to collective investment schemes as a value of GDP, is 2%, which is significantly less than in other European countries

In the last 5 years (from 2018 to 2022), the average annual growth of investments in mutual funds in the country was 20%. Thus, by the end of last year, investments reached a 3% share in the savings of Bulgarians. For comparison, this percentage is almost 16% for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary and Romania). “UniCredit Bulbank always aims to introduce innovations on the market for its customers. This fully applies to the offer of investment products, which we have been successfully developing for 20 years. The data shows that investments have already entered our customers' portfolios as a way to save money, and we will continue to work to develop the potential of this market," said Tsvetanka Mincheva, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of UniCredit Bulbank. At a joint event, the bank and Amundi, the asset management company, celebrated 20 years since the offering of the first foreign mutual fund registered and offered by a bank in Bulgaria, as well as the results achieved during this period.

According to data presented by Alain Berry, CEO of Amundi Czechia, in Bulgaria the share of assets directed to collective investment schemes represents only 2% of GDP. For comparison, in the Czech Republic this indicator is 5%, and in France – 123%. "As to 2022, investors from Central Europe invested many times more than Bulgarians, whereby Czechs invested 15 times more than Bulgarians," Berry said.

The comparison between the trends of deposit volumes and investment volumes in the last 10 years also shows an interesting trend. "Despite the absolute dominance of the deposit as a form of saving money among our customers, the growth in the volume of investments in the last five years is five times greater than the growth in the volume of deposits - 558% versus 109%, respectively," explained Borislav Genov, Retail Banking Director at UniCredit Bulbank. In 2012, of every BGN 100 in deposits, Bulgarians invested BGN 1.02 on the capital markets, while in 2022, the average amount of investment increased to BGN 3.22. "In addition to investing more, our customers are increasingly diversifying their portfolio. Compared to 5 funds in 2003, today UniCredit Bulbank customers have more than 30 investment funds at their disposal," added Genov. The Amundi Investment Plan with regular investments with small amounts remains the most preferred plan by the bank's customers. It is preferred by 8 out of 10 of the bank's customers, who use investment products.

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Additional media information:

Ekaterina Ancheva, tel +359 894 518 193 , flbufsjob/bodifwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Darina Radoslavova, tel +359 887 505273, Ebsjob/SbeptmbwpwbAVojDsfejuHspvq/CH