Press releases

Annual reports on their activity for 2022 were submitted at the National Statistical Institute (NSI) by 448 409 non-financial enterprises, which was 8.6% more compared to 2021. The number of persons employed in full-time equivalent in the non-financial enterprises was 2 220 091 or 4.3% more than the previous year. The non-financial enterprises generated 277 910 million BGN of the value of output at current prices and reported a positive financial result of 39 803 million BGN (the data are preliminary).

At the NSI 46 090 enterprises in the sector ‘Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing’ submitted annual reports on their activity for 2022 or 10.3% of the total number of the reported non-financial enterprises. These enterprises employed 107 756 persons who generated a value of output of 13 832 million BGN at current prices. A positive financial result of 3 513 million BGN was reported.

Annual reports on their activities were submitted in NSI by 35 737 industrial enterprises or 8.0% of the total number of the reported non-financial enterprises at the NSI, as the largest share had the sector ‘Manufacturing’ - 84.5%. The value of output at current prices, manufactured by the industrial sector amounted to 119 854 million BGN, which formed 43.1% of the total production value of non-financial enterprises. This sector employed 579 987 persons or 26.1% of the total number of persons employed in non-financial enterprises. The industrial enterprises finished 2022 with a positive financial result of 12 002 million BGN at current prices - the largest contribution had the sector ‘Manufacturing’, which formed 58.3% of that result.

At the NSI 23 748 construction enterprises submitted annual reports on their activity or 5.3% of the total number of reported non-financial enterprises. The largest share had the enterprises engaged in specialized construction activities - 52.5%. The construction enterprises employed 144 137 persons or 6.5% of the total number of persons employed in non-financial enterprises. The construction sector generated a value of output of 22 931 million BGN at current prices or 8.2% of the total production value. The construction sector finished 2022 with a positive financial result of 2 043 million BGN at current prices and ‘Construction of buildings’ formed 39.9% of that result.

Annual reports on their activity for 2022 were submitted at the NSI by 137 294 trade enterprises or 30.6% of the total number of reported non-financial enterprises. The largest share had ‘Retail trade, except motor vehicles and motorcycles’ - 68.2%. This sector engaged 490 207 persons or 22.1% of the total number of persons employed in non-financial enterprises. The trade sector generated a value of output of 38 017 million BGN at current prices or 13.7% of the total production value of non-financial enterprises. The trade enterprises realized a positive financial result of 10 068 million BGN at current prices and ‘Wholesale trade, except motor vehicles and motorcycles’ formed 70.6% of that result.

At the NSI 205 540 enterprises in the service sector submitted annual reports or 45.8% of the total number of reported non-financial enterprises. This sector employed 898 004 persons or 40.4% of the total number of persons employed in non-financial enterprises. At current prices, in the service sector was generated value of output of 83 276 million BGN that formed 30.0% of the total production value of non-financial enterprises. The service sector finished 2022 with a positive financial result of 12 177 million BGN and 23.6% of that result were realized by ‘Information and communication’.

The foreign direct investments (FDI) in the non-financial sector as of 31.12.2022 amounted to 29 251 million euro at current prices.

In 2022, the largest volume of the foreign direct investments was made in Industry sector - 12 822 million euro. Next by FDI volume was Service sector (Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; Transport, communication and services; Accommodation and food service activities) - 6 837 million euro.

The investments made in Information and communication sector are 3.1 percentage points more compared to the previous year, and in the Construction sector they decrease by 0.4 percentage points.

The expenditure on acquisition of tangible fixed assets in all sectors of the economy amounted to 27 741 million BGN at current prices.

The largest volume of investments in tangible fixed assets was in the sector of Industry - 7 115 million BGN, followed by Service sector (Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; Transport, communication and services; Accommodation and food service activities) with 6 917 million BGN.

In the structure of expenditure on acquisition of tangible fixed assets, an increase was observed in the investments made in industrial sector, as their relative share increased by 1.5 percentage points compared to 2021 and a decrease in the Service sector (Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; Transport, communication and services; Accommodation and food service activities) by 0.5 percentage points.

During the reporting year, the structure of expenditure on acquisition of tangible fixed assets by kind was changed. The relative share of investments for buildings and construction equipment decreased by 0.5 percentage points compared to the previous year and reached 34.9%, machines, production equipment and apparatus also decreased by 0.1 points, for the purchase of land - by 1.4 points, and for means of transport - by 0.3 points, forming respectively 28.0%, 8.3% and 13.7% of the total volume of investments in of expenditure on acquisition of tangible fixed assets. At the same time, funds invested for other expenses increased by 2.3 points and reached 15.1%.

In August 2023, the total business climate indicator decreases by 1.0 percentage point compared to the previous month. More unfavourable business climate is observed in industry, retail trade and service sector, while in construction an increase is registered.

The uncertain economic environment remains the main problem for the activity of the enterprises in all sectors.

The Total Producer Price Index in Industry rose by 0.5% in July 2023 compared to the previous month. A 0.8% increase was registered in the manufacturing industry, while the mining and quarrying industry as well as the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply fell by 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively. 

The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market fell by 0.3% in July compared to June 2023. The domestic prices decreased in the mining and quarrying industry by 4.0%, in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 0.2%, and in the manufacturing industry by 0.1%.

The Total Producer Price Index went down by 13.7% in July 2023 compared to the same month in 2022. There was a considerable decline in prices in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - 37.0%, and in the manufacturing industry - 2.6%, while the mining and quarrying industry marked a rise of 11.2%. 

The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market decreased by 18.1% compared to July 2022. Lower prices were reported in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - 36.8%, and in the manufacturing - 1.7%, while the prices in the mining and quarrying industry rose by 3.7%.

In June 2023, compared to May 2023, an increase is reported for the production of: liquefied petroleum gases - by 33.3%, electricity - by 17.7%, and transport diesel - by 7.6%. A decrease is reported for the production of: solid fuels - by 24.2%, and motor gasoline - by 10.1%. No change for the production of  natural gas.

Compared to the same month of the previous year, a decrease is reported for the production of: solid fuels - by 66.6%, natural gas - by 50.0%, electricity - by 26.5%, motor gasoline - by 14.6%, transport diesel - by 11.8%, and liquefied petroleum gases - by 11.1%.

In June 2023, compared to May 2023, an increase is reported for the deliveries of transport diesel - by 9.1%. A decrease is reported for the deliveries of: liquefied petroleum gases - by 20.9%, solid fuels - by 16.1%, electricity - by 7.0%, natural gas - by 3.3%, and motor gasoline - by 2.2%.

Compared to the same month of 2022, an increase is reported for the deliveries of: transport diesel - by 7.6%, and liquefied petroleum gases - by 3.0%. A decrease is reported for the deliveries of: solid fuels - by 67.5%, motor gasoline - by 22.4%, natural gas - by 19.4%, and electricity - by 4.7%.

In July 2023, the number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 820.5 thousand, or 12.1% above the registered in July 2022.

The trips with holiday and recreation purpose composed the greatest share of the total number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad - 44.8%, followed by those with other purposes (as a guest, education and visiting cultural and sports events) - 38.6%, and with professional purpose - 16.6%.

Тhe number of visits of non-residents to Bulgaria was 1 836.0 thousand, or 19.7% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year. The predominant share of the visits was with holiday and recreation purpose - 50.3%, followed by trips with other purposes - 43.9%, and with professional purpose - 5.8%.

Transit passes through the country were 35.9% (658.3 thousand) of all visits of non-residents to Bulgaria.

The goods carried by freight land and water transport increased by 10.6%, while the transport performance decreased by 12.4% during the second quarter of 2023 in comparison with the same quarter of 2022. The data are preliminary.

The number of passengers carried by the passenger transport (land, water and urban electrical transport) rose by 1.5% in the second quarter of 2023. The transport performance also increased by 6.4%. 

Freight land transport
In the second quarter of 2023, the transported goods by the land transport were 10.4% more than in the same quarter of 2022, while the transport performance decreased by 12.1%.

Freight water transport
The goods carried by sea and inland waterway transport rose by 15.4%, while the transport performance, measured in tonne-kilometres, fell by 24.6%. 

Passengers land transport
The number of the transported passengers by land transport decreased by 1.6%, while the transport performance represented a growth of 6.0% compared to the same quarter of 2022.

Passengers water transport
In the second quarter of 2023 there was an increase in both transported passengers by water transport and transport performance by 9.0 thousand passengers and 94.0 thousand passenger-kilometres, respectively. 

Urban electrical transport
During the period April - June of 2023 the enterprises performing urban electrical transport transported 6.0% more passengers and the transport performance increased by 8.7% compared to the same period of 2022. 

In the second quarter of 2023, 1 172.4 thousand Bulgarian residents made tourist trips. The majority of them - 79.2% travelled only in the country, 16.7% - only abroad, and 4.1% - both in the country and abroad. Compared to the same quarter of 2022, the total number of travelled persons aged 15 and over increased by 8.9%.

The turnover index in the section ‘Transportation, storage and post’ decreased by 3.9% for the second quarter of 2023 compared to the previous quarter. In the section ‘Information and communication’ was seen an increase of the turnover by 3.1%. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

During the second quarter of 2023, the turnover index in the section ‘Transportation, storage and post’ increased by 0.6% compared to the same quarter of 2022. The turnover in the section ‘Information and communication’ rose by 16.2%. The data are preliminary and calendar-adjusted.

In the second quarter of 2023 the expenditure on acquisition of tangible fixed assets in all sectors of the economy amounted to 6 646 million BGN, which is 23.5% more as compared to the previous quarter. The data are preliminary.

Detailed data are published on the NSI website under the heading “Investments”.