Press releases

Тhe exported goods amounted to 92 917.8 million BGN or 35.8% more than in 2021. The imported goods were for 107 912.8 million BGN, which is 40.6% more than the previous year.

The largest growth in the exports of goods compared to 2021 was reported in the section ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (159.1%). Fall was not observed in any of the sections. The largest growth in the imports of goods was registered in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (222.1%) and again fall was not observed in any of the sections. Data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

In July 2023, 3 697 accommodation establishments - hotels, motels, camping sites, mountain chalets and other establishments for short-term accommodation with 10 or more bed-places, functioned in the country with 149.5 thousand rooms and 339.3 thousand bed-places in them. In comparison with July 2022, the accommodation establishments increased by 2.3% and the bed-places in them - by 3.5%.

The total number of nights spent was 5 819.6 thousand, or by 8.1% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year, and the number of arrivals in all accommodation establishments increased by 9.0% and reached 1 441.3 thousand.

The total revenues from nights spent reached 454.5 million BGN, or by 17.6% more compared to a year before.

In July 2023, the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices kept the level of the previous month. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

The turnover was noted a decrease in all major groups: in ‘Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores’ - by 4.6%, in ‘Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco’ - by 0.9% and in ‘Retail sale of non-food products (except fuel)’ - by 0.3%. 

The calendar-adjusted turnover went up by 1.6% compared to the same month in 2022.

An increase was observed in ‘Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco’ (8.7%), while in ‘Retail sale of non-food products (except fuel)’ and in ‘Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores’, a decrease was registered - by 1.9% and by 0.6%, respectively.

In July 2023, the index of production in the ‘Construction’ section was unchanged compared to the previous month. The production of civil engineering fell by 0.1% and the production of building construction remained unchanged. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

The calendar-adjusted data showed a decrease of 1.8% in construction production compared to the same month of 2022. A decrease was registered both in civil engineering - by 3.8%, and in building construction - by 0.2%.

The Industrial Production Index decreased by 1.3% in July 2023 compared to the previous month. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

A drop was reported in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 8.4%, in the mining and quarrying industry - by 8.1%, while the production increase in the manufacturing - by 0.9%.

In July 2023, a decrease of 11.5% was registered in the calendar-adjusted Industrial Production Index in comparison with the same month in 2022.

Compared to July 2022, a drop was observed in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 42.6%, in the mining and quarrying industry - by 23.5%, and in the manufacturing - by 3.1%.

For the period August 7th - September 3rd 2023, dead persons in Bulgaria are 6 762 and they are 1 211 less than during the same period in 2022. The data on deaths in Bulgaria for a period (32nd - 35th week) and by week are available on the website of the National Statistical Institute at the following links:

Mortality | Infostat (infostat.nsi.bg)

Deaths in Bulgaria by weeks | National statistical institute (nsi.bg)

In the second quarter of 2023, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 1.9% and Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2.2% compared to the second quarter of 2022 (data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted).

The increase in Gross Value Added is determined by the growth in the following economic activities:

Construction - 5.8%, Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; transportation and storage; accommodation and food service activities - 4.6%, Professional, scientific and technical activities; administrative and support service activities - 4.4%, Agriculture, forestry and fishing - 4.2%, Information and communication - 3.1%, Public administration and defence; compulsory social security; education; human health and social work activities - 1.9%, Financial and insurance activities - 1.8%, Arts, entertainment and recreation, repair of household goods and other services - 1.0% and Real estate activities - 0.9%.

A decline with 1.0% was registered in Mining and quarrying; manufacturing; electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply; water supply, waste management and remediation activities.

Regarding the expenditure components of GDP, contributors to the registered positive economic growth are the Final consumption, with a growth of 4.0% and gross fixed capital formation increased by 7.3%.

According to the seasonally adjusted data, in the second quarter of 2023, exports of goods and services decreased by 0.9%, and the imports of goods and services dropped by 6.9% compared to the second quarter of 2022.

In the second quarter of 2023 GDP per person employed increased in real terms by 1.7% compared to the second quarter of 2022, аccording to the preliminary data.

In the second quarter of 2023, the largest increase in Service prices compared to the previous quarter was recorded in Air transport and Cleaning activities, by 8.4% and 6.0%, respectively. A decrease in prices was registered in Courier activities - by 1.7%.

Detailed data are published on the NSI website under the heading 'Short-term Business Statistics'.

The monthly data on revenues, expenses and deficit/surplus of the subsector ‘Central Government’ and the subsector ‘Social Security Funds’ for July 2023 have been published, in accordance with Article 3(2) of Directive 2011/85 of the EU. The data of the ‘Central Government’ subsector are formed on the basis of the monthly cash statements of the budget units, as well as estimates of the state enterprises reclassified in the subsector, and the data of the ‘Social Insurance Funds’ subsector are formed on the basis of the monthly cash statements of the National Insurance Institute and the National Health Insurance Fund.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Government Finance Statistics'.