Arkadi Sharkov is a macroeconomist specializing in health systems analysis and public sector management. His areas of expertise include health budgeting, fiscal policy, the design of incentives to promote affordable healthcare, and the optimization of public expenditure. He has substantial experience conducting cost-benefit analyses related to the market entry of pharmaceutical products and the economic evaluation of clinical pathways within hospital and outpatient settings. He holds a Master of Science in Public Policy from Maastricht University and the United Nations University, and currently serves as an Assistant Professor and PhD candidate at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" and the Higher School of Insurance and Finance, where he lectures on the organization of social and health insurance systems.
Sharkov is a leading voice in the debate on health financing in Bulgaria. In an analysis presented at the BTA National Press Club in April 2026, he revealed that healthcare inflation in Bulgaria in 2026 compared to 2025 is double the national average, and that the share of out-of-pocket payments by citizens is more than double compared to other EU countries. Over the past five years, household healthcare costs have increased by 60%, with Bulgaria ranking first in the EU in terms of co-payments by households, with nearly 77% of these going toward medicines.
Together with his colleague Stoyan Penchev, Sharkov has presented research conducted by the Expert Club for Economics and Policy examining inflation and price lag in healthcare, highlighting that 77% of clinical pathways require price adjustments, and warning that a slowdown in inflation should not be mistaken for a decline in prices.