Labour productivity, employment and hours worked - Fourth quarter of 2025 and 2025 - preliminary data

According to preliminary data for 2025, the gross domestic product (GDP) per employed person increased by 0.9% in real terms compared to the previous year.

The number of persons employed in the economy was 3 595.5 thousands and the total number of hours worked was 5 785.7 million. The structure of employment by economic sector in 2025 compared to 2024 showed an increase in the relative share of the service sector and a decrease in the relative share of the agricultural and industrial sectors.

GDP per person employed was 32 267.3 euro and GDP per hour worked was 20.1 euro.

Gross value added per person employed increased in 2025 in real terms by 0.3% and per hour worked increased in real terms by 1.4% compared to the previous year 2024.

According to preliminary data for 2025, GVA per person employed in service sector was 29 869.2 euro and GVA per hour worked was 18.2 euro. In industrial sector GVA per person employed was 28 703.7 euro and GVA per hour worked was 17.2 euro. The lowest labour productivity was in agricultural sector - 5 997.5 euro GVA per person employed and 4.4 euro per hour worked.

Quarterly changes in the fourth quarter of 2025

According to preliminary data, in the fourth quarter of 2025, the gross domestic product (GDP) per employed person increased by 0.6% in real terms, compared to the corresponding period in 2024.

The number of persons employed in the economy in the fourth quarter of 2025 was 3 504.5 thousands and the total number of hours worked was 1 451.8 million. The structure of employment by economic sector in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the fourth quarter of 2024 showed an increase in the relative share of the services sector and a decrease in the relative shares of the agricultural and industrial sectors.

GDP per person employed was 9 550.8 euro of the volume terms of GDP and hour worked was 23.1 euro in GDP in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Gross value added per person employed decreased in real terms by 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. GVA per hour worked increased in real terms by 0.4%.

GVA per person employed in industrial sector was 7 350.1 euro and GVA per hour worked was 17.4 euro according to preliminary data for the fourth quarter of 2025. In service sector, an average of 9 391.4 euro Gross value added was produced by person employed or an average of 22.1 euro GVA per hour worked. The lowest labour productivity was in agricultural sector - 1 135.5 euro GVA per person employed and 3.3 euro per hour worked.

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 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.
5. GVA is an indicator that is applicable for calculation of labour productivity on both national level and the level of the economic activities.
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 NACE.BG - 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 labour 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 labour 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 labour factor in the composition of the labour productivity is man hours worked - this indicator represents more accurately actual work input in the production process. 
11. Comparison of indicators of labour 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.
12. Data for labour productivity are published on the NSI website and INFOSTAT - quarterly and annual time series.

Annex

^* Preliminary data.

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