Press releases

In December 2022, the number of the trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 604.7 thousand or 9.7% above the registered in December 2021.

The trips with other purposes (as a guest, education and visiting cultural and sports events) in December 2022 composed the greatest share of the total number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad - 45.3%, followed by those with holiday and recreation purpose - 32.5%, and with professional purpose - 22.2%.

In December 2022, the number of visits of non-residents to Bulgaria was 761.9 thousand, or 60.3% more in comparison with December 2021. An increase in the trips with all observed purposes was registered. Transit passes through the country were 37.8% (287.6 thousand) of all visits of non-residents to Bulgaria.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines that ‘persons with disabilities include persons with permanent physical, mental, intellectual and sensory impairments which, in interaction with their environment, could hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others’. This definition requires the availability of statistical data not only on the number and different socio-demographic characteristics of people with disabilities in accordance with national legislation, but also a wider set of data. Therefore, during the census, information was collected on three main characteristics of the health status of the population: self-assessment of health, presence of limitations in daily activities due to a health problem (persons with limitations) and people with disabilities.

Self-assessment of health

As of September 7, 2021, the largest is the number and relative share of persons who self-define their health as good - 2 700 039 (45.7%), followed by very good - 1 558 163 (26.4%), and satisfactory - 1 086 981 (18.4%). 221 988 and 46 819 people, or 3.8 and 0.8%, rate their health as bad and very bad, respectively. The persons who indicated that they could not determine were 77 354 (1.3%). 211 764, or 3.6% of respondents, answered ‘I do not want to answer’.

Self-assessment of health largely depends on the gender and age of individuals. Men are more positive and more often define their health as very good and good (74.8%) compared to women (69.7%). As age increases, the number and correspondingly the share of the population with good or very good health decreases, while the number of persons who rate their health as satisfactory, poor and very poor increases.

Persons with limitations

As of September 7, 2021, 153 242 people, or 2.6% of respondents, had been severely limited in their usual activities due to a health problem in the past six months or more. Limited, but not severely, were 381 805, or 6.5%. 4 795 642 people, or 81.2%, were not limited. 220 500 people, or 3.7%, cannot determine, and 351 919, or 6.0% of the people do not want to answer the question.

People with disabilities

As of September 7, 2021, 654 547 persons have recognized permanently reduced working capacity or degree of disability. Of these, 22 248 are children, and 632 299 are persons aged 16 and over. The intensity indicators are respectively 27 per 1 000 children and 124 per 1 000 people aged 16 and over.

The distribution of children by degree of disability shows that the most numerous is the group of those with 50 to 70% type and degree of disability - 8 984, or 40.4% of children with disabilities. The group from 71 to 90% follows - 5 931 children, or 26.7%. With the most severe disabilities - over 90%, there are 4 992 children, or 22.4%, and the smallest group of children with up to 50% type and degree of disability - 2 341, or 10.5%.

Among persons aged 16 and over in the structure by degree of permanently reduced working capacity/type and degree of disability, the largest number and, accordingly, the relative share of persons in the group from 71 to 90% - 225 342, or 35.6% of persons with disabilities for which information is available on this matter. Next comes the group from 50 to 70%, in which 218 038 persons, or 34.5%, apply. The group with the most severe disabilities - over 90%, includes 135 137 persons aged 16 and over, or 21.4% of persons with disabilities in this age group. The share of persons with up to 50% permanently reduced working capacity/type and degree of disability is the smallest - 53 782, or 8.5%.

The number of deaths in the fourth quarter of 2022 (40th - 52nd week) is 26 078 and the crude mortality rate - 15.3‰. Mortality among males (16.4‰) is higher than among females (14.3‰). Compared to the same period of the previous year, the number of deaths has decreased by 20 305, or 43.8%.

In December 2022, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was 0.9% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in December 2022 compared to December 2021 was 16.9%.

In December 2022, compared to the previous month, the highest price increase was registered for Recreation and culture (+8.5%), Health (+2.2%), Miscellaneous goods and services (+1.6%), Restaurants and hotels (+1.4%). The decrease was recorded in the prices for Transport (-2.3%) and Clothing and footwear (-1.2%).

In December 2022, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 0.8% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in December 2022 compared to December 2021 was 14.3%.

The exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries increased by 38.0% compared to the same period of 2021 and amounted to 29 003.8 million BGN, while the imports of goods from third countries grew by 62.8% and added up to 44 835.7 million BGN.

Тhe most notable growth in the exports of goods to third countries compared to the same period of 2021 was recorded in the sections ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (224.6%) and ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (195.8%). A fall was reported in the section ‘Crude materials, inedible (except fuel)’[1] (4.6%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from third countries was recorded in the sections ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (525.5%) and ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (140.8%). The data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The total value of all exported goods to third countries and the EU amounted to 87 460.4 million BGN in the period January - November 2022, which is 40.2% more 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 99 985.3 million BGN and grew by 44.1%.

Тhe exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU increased by 42.7% compared to the same period in 2021 and amounted to 52 805.5 million BGN, while the imports of goods from the EU grew by 32.4% and reached 49 402.2 million BGN.

The most notable growth in the exports of goods to the EU compared to the same period of 2021 was recorded in sections ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (218.8%) and ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (156.0%). A fall was reported in the section ‘Beverages and tobacco’ (10.7%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from the EU was recorded in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (119.8%). Data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The exports to the EU increased by 33.5% in October 2022 compared to the corresponding month of the previous year and amounted to 5 636.9 million BGN, while the imports grew by 29.3% and added up to 5 336.3 million BGN.

In November 2022, 2 072 accommodation establishments - hotels, motels, camping sites, mountain chalets and other establishments for short-term accommodation with more than 10 bed-places, functioned in the country with 57.5 thousand rooms and 118.3 thousand bed-places in them. In comparison with November 2021, the total number of accommodation establishments (functioned during the period) increased by 32.1% and the bed-places in them - by 26.3%.

The total number of nights spent in all accommodation establishments in November 2022 was   855.0 thousand, or by 98.3% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year.

In November 2022, the number of arrivals in all accommodation establishments increased by 97.4% compared to the same month of 2021, and reached 402.6 thousand.

The total revenues from nights spent in November 2022 reached 61.2 million BGN, as 39.2 million BGN were from Bulgarian residents and 22.0 million BGN - from non-residents.

The Industrial Production Index increased by 0.7% in November 2022 compared to October 2022. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

Compared to the previous month a growth was reported in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 33.6% while a decrease was seen in the manufacturing - by 1.9% and in the mining and quarrying industry - by 0.1%.

In November 2022, the calendar adjusted Industrial Production Index rose by 4.7% in comparison with the same month in 2021.

Growth compared to November 2021 was registered in the manufacturing - by 8.7%, while a drop was observed in the mining and quarrying industry - by 10.4% and in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 5.6%.

In November 2022, the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices increased by 2.2% compared to the previous month. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

A growth in turnover was reported in ‘Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores’ by 5.6% and in ‘Retail sale of non-food products (except fuel)’ by 3.1%, while in ‘Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco’ was observed a decrease by 0.5%.

The calendar adjusted turnover increased by 4.7% compared to the same month in 2021.

Growth was seen in ‘Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores’ by 14.9% and in ‘Retail sale of non-food products (except fuel)’ by 8.8%. A drop was noted in ‘Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco’ by 6.4%.

Тhe index of production in section ‘Construction’ increased by 0.4% in November 2022 compared to the previous month. The production of civil engineering rose by 0.9% and the production of building construction remained unchanged.

Compared to November 2021, the index of production in construction went up by 1.6%. An increase was registered both in civil engineering by 3.0% and in building construction - by 0.5%.