Statistical data

In Bulgaria during 2023, 10 361 books and pamphlets were published, which is with 1 467 less than the previous year. The highest number was fiction for adults - 2 995 titles, followed by scientific literature - 2 136. The titles of translated publications were 2 688. More than half of them were translated from English (57.7%), followed by the editions from French - 8.4%, German - 5.9% and Russian - 5.9%. The highest number of books and pamphlets being published was in Sofia (stolitsa) district - 6 887, followed by Plovdiv (756) and Varna (625) districts.

In 2023, 180 newspapers were issued, of which 21 - daily newspapers, and compared to the previous year, their number decreased by 11 and 4. The highest number of newspapers issued was in Sofia (stolitsa) district - 45.6% of all editions. In 2023, were published 428 magazines and 47 bulletins, and in comparison with 2022, the number of magazines decreased by 14, and the number of bulletins also decreased by 14.

The total export price index during the first quarter of 2024 is 94.4%, which is a drop of 3.5 percentage points in the index compared to the same period of the previous year.

The total import price index for the reporting period is 97.6%, which is a 2.2 percentage points below the level of the index compared to the same period of 2023.

Preliminary data on export and import price indices for the fourth quarter of 2024 by sectors of the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC, rev. 4) are published on NSI website under the heading ‘Exports and Imports price indices’.

The housing prices increased by 7.1% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous quarter (fourth quarter of 2023). The highest increase was recorded in Varna (+9.0%), followed by Sofia (+8.6%) and Stara Zagora (+5.2%). A decrease was registered in Ruse (-0.9%).

In the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023, housing prices rose by 16.0%.

Detailed data are published on the NSI website under the heading 'Housing price statistics'.

In the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023, the total hourly labour cost rose by 15.8% (preliminary data). The total hourly labour cost increased by 13.9% in industry, by 16.3% in services and by 19.3% in construction.

The highest annual growth in total labour costs was recorded in ‘Other service activities’ - by 20.8%, ‘Accommodation and food service activities’ - by 20.6%, and ‘Construction’ - by 19.3%.

In 2023, price levels for household final consumption expenditure differed widely across the EU. The highest price levels were recorded in Denmark (143% of the EU average). The lowest levels were recorded in Bulgaria and Romania (both with 60%), according to the provisional estimates for 2023.

In 2023, actual individual consumption (AIC) per capita expressed in purchasing power standards (PPS) varied from 70% to 138% of the EU average across the 27 EU countries. In Bulgaria, the level was 26% below the EU average, according to the provisional estimates for 2023.

GDP per capita ranged from 64% to 239% of EU average. In 2023, GDP per capita in Bulgaria was 36% below the average for the EU-27.

The number of health establishments for hospital aid at the end of 2023 was 341 with 55 724 beds. The number of hospital beds was 864.5 per 100 000 persons of the total population.

The number of out-patient health establishments was 2 237 with 1 307 beds for short term treatment. The number of other health establishments was 149 with 1 742 beds in them.

On a basic contract in the health establishments in the country were practicing:

• 29 911 physicians;
• 7 607 dentists, as 6 583 of them worked in practices that had signed а contract with National Health Insurance Fund;
• 44 523 health care professionals and other medical specialists, as 28 570 of them are nurses and 3 253 midwives.

The number of physicians per 10 000 persons of the total population at the end of 2023 was 46.4 and the number of dentists per 10 000 persons of the total population was 11.8.

In May 2024, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was -0.2% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in May 2024 compared to May 2023 was 2.3%.

In May 2024, compared to the previous month, the highest decrease was registered in the following groups: ‘Communications’ (-1.5%), ‘Recreation and culture’ (-1.0%), ‘Transport’ (-0.9%) and ‘Food and non-alcoholic beverages’ (-0.5%). The highest increase in the prices was recorded in the groups: ‘Alcoholic beverages and tobacco’ (+1.0%), ‘Restaurants and hotels’ (+0.6%), ‘Clothing and footwear’ (+0.6%) and ‘Miscellaneous goods and services’ (+0.6%).

The monthly inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 0.0% and the annual inflation rate was 2.7%.

In April 2024, 2 267 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 68.5 thousand rooms and 143.6 thousand bed-places in them. In comparison with the same month of the previous year, the accommodation establishments increased by 1.3% and the bed-places in them decreased by 0.5%.

The total number of nights spent was 1 012.4 thousand, or 2.0% less in comparison to a year earlier, and the number of arrivals in all accommodation establishments increased by 2.3% and reached 481.9 thousand.

The total revenues from nights spent reached 85.6 million BGN, or by 11.6% more compared to the same month of the previous year.

Dear users, due to a technical issue with Information system ‘Foreign trade’ when computing the data for the period January - April 2024, it was necessary to update the information.

Thank you for your understanding and we would like to apologize for the inconvenience.

The exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries decreased by 4.9% compared to the same period of 2023 and amounted to 9 795.9 million BGN, while the imports of goods from third countries increased by 0.9% and added up to 12 798.1 million BGN.

Тhe most notable growth in the exports was recorded in the sections ‘Crude materials, inedible (except fuel)’ (13.6%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Food and live animals’ (25.5%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from third countries was recorded in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (44.6%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Crude materials, inedible (except fuel)’ (6.3%). The data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The total value of all exported goods to third countries and the EU amounted to 27 476.0 million BGN in the period January - April 2024, which is 5.9% less than the same period of the previous year, while the total value of all imported goods from third countries and the EU added up to 31 817.2 million BGN and dropped by 1.1%.