Statistical data

According to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) at the end of March 2011 the number of employees under labour contract decreased by 0.1% as compared to the end of December 2010 and reached to 2.15 millions. In first quarter of 2011 in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2010 the average monthly wages and salaries increased by 0.3% getting 671 levs.

In April 2011 the total consumer confidence indicator decreases by 3.1 percentage points in comparison with January 2011, which is mostly due to a decrease of confidence among the rural inhabitants by 8.5 percentage points. The value of the indicator for the urban inhabitants decreases by 0.5 percentage points.

According to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute, in the first quarter of 2011 the newly built residential buildings were 601 and compared to the respectively quarter of 2010 increased by 16.7%. The newly built dwellings in them decreased by 5.3% and their number was 3 109.

In the period January - March 2011 the Bulgarian exports to third countries increased by 55. 9% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and amounted to 3.7 billion levs while the imports increased by 40.1% and reached to 4.1 billion levs.
In the period January - March 2011 the total value of the exported goods (both for third countries and EU) reached to 9.3 billion levs and compared to the corresponding period of 2010 the exports increased by 55.6% while the total value of the imported goods was for 9.8 billion levs and increased by 29.9%.

Within the period October 2009 – October 2010, the National Statistical Institute conducted the fifth whole-year Time Use Survey.

According to the preliminary data of the NSI, in March 2011 the index of production in section ‘Construction’, calculated on the base of seasonally adjusted data, was 3.1% below the level recorded the previous month.

The preliminary data showed that the Industrial Production Index, seasonally adjusted increased by 0.1% in March 2011 as compared to February 2011. The working day adjusted Industrial Production Index rose by 5.1% as compared to the same month of 2010.

In the period January - February 2011 the Bulgarian exports to the EU increased by 55.0% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and exceeded 3.6 billion levs while the imports increased by 28.4% and also exceeded 3.6 billion levs.
In February 2011 the exports to the EU increased by 41% compared to the corresponding month of the previous year and exceeded 1.7 billion levs while the imports increased by 20.8% and reached to 1.9 billion levs.

In the first quarter of 2011, the municipal authorities have issued building permits for construction of 951 residential buildings with 2 458 dwellings, of 37 administrative buildings/offices and 954 other buildings. The construction of 459 residential buildings with 1 540 dwellings, of 26 administrative buildings/offices and 409 other buildings has been started.

The number of detached crèches and groups in kindergartens functioning in the country at the end of 2010 is 731 with 28 139 places in them. The tendencies of increasing of the establishments’ number as well as the number of places in them continue in 2010. The number of places in detached crèches and groups in kindergartens as of 31.12.2010 increases by 1 187 (4.4%) compared to the end of 2009.