Labour productivity - 2025

According to the updated data, GDP per person employed increased in real terms by 0.8% in 2025 compared to the previous year.

The labour productivity data for the period 2018 - 2022 have been revised in connection with GNI verification cycle. In accordance with the revision policy of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) and Eurostat requirements, the data for the period 2018 - 2024 have been revised following a methodological revision aimed at improving the methods used to estimate the components of GDP according to the three approaches, in line with the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010). The revision for the period 2018 - 2022 is based on the incorporation of final data on GDP components derived from the Supply and Use Tables, while the revision for the period 2023 - 2024 is based on updated balance of payments data. At constant 2020 prices, the time series has been recalculated for the period 1995 - 2024. Gross national income (GNI) data for the period 2018 - 2024 have also been revised and are available on NSI's website.

The number of persons employed in the economy is 3 595.5 thousand and the total number of hours worked is 5 785.7 million. Compared with the previous year the structure of employment by economic sector in 2025 shows an increase in the relative share of the service sector and a decrease in the agriculture and industrial sectors.

GDP per person employed is 32 414.7 EUR and GDP per hour worked is 20.1 EUR.

The Gross value added per person employed increased in 2025 in real terms by 0.4% and per hour worked it increased in real terms by 1.5% compared to the previous year.

GVA per person employed in the service sector is 30 190.9 EUR and GVA per hour worked is 18.4 EUR according to the final data for 2025. In the industrial sector GVA per person employed is 28 545.2 EUR and GVA per hour worked is 17.1 EUR. The lowest labour productivity in the agricultural sector is 5 984.7 EUR GVA per person employed and 4.4 EUR per hour worked.

First quarter of 2026

According to updated data, in the first quarter of 2026 GDP per person employed increased in real terms by 1.6% compared to the corresponding period of 2025.

The number of persons employed in the economy is 3 518.0 thousand and the total number of hours worked is 1 437.1 million in the first quarter of 2026. Compared with the first quarter of 2025 the structure of employment by economic sector in the first quarter of 2025 shows an increase in the relative share of the service sector and a decrease in the relative share in the agricultural sector and industry sector.

GDP per person employed is 7 768.7 EUR and GDP per hour worked is 19.0 EUR in the first quarter of 2026.

The Gross value added per person employed decreased in real terms by 1.8% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2025. GVA per hour worked decreased in real terms by 1.1%.

GVA per person employed in the industrial sector is 7 422.4 EUR and GVA per hour worked is 17.5 EUR according to the updated data for the first quarter of 2026. In the service sector an average of 6 762.1 EUR Gross value added is produced by person employed, or an average of 16.1 EUR GVA per hour worked. The lowest labour productivity in the agricultural sector is 914.5 EUR GVA per person employed and 3.0 EUR per hour worked.

Second quarter of 2026

According to updated data, in the second quarter of 2026 GDP per person employed increased in real terms by 3.0% compared to the corresponding period of 2025.

The number of persons employed in the economy is 3 661.8 thousand and the total number of hours worked is 1 428.3 million in the second quarter of 2026. Compared with the second quarter of 2026 the structure of employment by economic sector in the second quarter of 2025 shows an increase in the relative share of the service sector and a decrease in the relative share in the agricultural sector and the industry sector.

GDP per person employed is 8 278.1 EUR and GDP per hour worked is 21.2 EUR in the second quarter of 2026.

Gross value added per person employed increased in real terms by 0.2% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the second quarter of 2025. GVA per hour worked increased in real terms by 0.4%.

GVA per person employed in the industrial sector is 7 922.0 EUR and GVA per hour worked is 19.5 EUR according to updated data for the second quarter of 2026. In the service sector an average of 7 298.4 EUR Gross value added is produced by person employed, or an average of 18.5 EUR GVA per hour worked. The lowest labour productivity in the agricultural sector is 1 305.8 EUR GVA per person employed and 3.9 EUR per hour worked.

Methodological Notes

1. Labour productivity is a compound economic indicator that compares the achieved result (created product) with the input labour factor when performing an economic activity on a given economic territory for a given period.
2. The main elements of labour productivity are indicators that measure the result of the underlying economic activity (numerator) and indicators for input labour in the production process (denominator).
3. At national level the result of production activity is measured with the Gross domestic product (GDP) and the Gross value added (GVA), created by all sectors of the national economy. GDP is the main indicator in the system of national economic accounts (ESA^[1] 2010) and it represents the final result of the production activity of all resident production units. The link between GDP and GVA is defined by the method of valuating the end product. GDP is valued at market prices including taxes on products and imports, net of subsidies on products. GVA measures the result of production activity using basic prices before taxation, including subsidies on products.
4. For the purposes of international comparisons of labour productivity between national economies the GDP per person employed (hour worked) is used: see http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat - General Economic Background. Labour productivity per person employed.
5. GVA per person employed (hour worked) is an indicator that is applicable for calculation of labour productivity on both national level and the level of the production activity.
6. The use of this indicator in national practice is in compliance with the specific methodological range of the sector ‘Renting and operating of own or leased real estate’ - activity type 68.2 of KID^[2] - 2008 - GVA includes an estimate of the imputed rent on real estates used by the owners which in Bulgaria has a dominating share - close to 90% of the population lives in their own houses. The value added from imputed rent of own real estate is classified entirely as operating surplus in the compilation of ‘Generation of income’ account and is not directly related to labour participation. Because of this, the value added due to imputed housing rent has to be excluded when calculating labour productivity both for the services sector and for the economy as a whole.
7. The labour production factor in the labour productivity indicator is measured by the number of person employed in resident production units of the national economy and the time that they were employed - hours worked.
8. The measurement of number of persons employed and hours worked is according to the definitions and concepts of ESA 2010 as they are applied in estimation of the indicators for economic activities.
9. When comparing the data with the results of the labor force survey it is necessary to consider differences in definitions and methodological characteristics. The main conceptual differences are:

- Object of the Labour Force Survey is the permanent population of the country, including temporary workers abroad, while the employment data in the ESA 2010 are defined in terms of resident production units that can hire labor both from the country and abroad;

- Persons on temporary military service are part of the employees under the ESA 2010, but not recorded by the Labour Force Survey.

10. The preferred indicator for the assessment of the labor factor in the composition of the labor productivity is man hours worked - this indicator represents more accurately actual work input in the production process - the Eurostat website - http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat.
11. Comparison of indicators of labor productivity over time requires the elimination of the influence of prices in the value of indicators for the results from the economic activity. For this purpose, GDP and GVA of the current period are presented at constant prices of the base period.

Data for labor productivity are published on the NSI website and INFOSTAT - quarterly and annual time series.

^[1]ESA 2010 - European System of National and Regional Accounts 2010.

^[2]NACE - 2008 - Classification of Economic Activities.

Annex

^* Preliminary data.

¹ The volume indices are calculated based on the values of the corresponding indicator at constant prices of 2020.