Bulgaria Adopts Euro on January 1, 2026

Exam-focused facts from the 4 January 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Bulgaria officially adopted the euro on January 1, 2026, becoming the 21st country to join the single currency.
The European Central Bank (ECB) president Christine Lagarde welcomed Bulgaria to the euro family.
Bulgaria abandoned the lev, its national currency since the late 19th century, at midnight on January 1, 2026.