Press releases

In 2014 56.7% of households in Bulgaria had access to the internet at home, which was a growth of 3.0 percentage point, compared to the previous year. There was also a growth of 2.5 percentage points of the individuals aged 16 - 74 years who used the internet every day or at least once per week and 21.3% of them used cloud services to store or share files on the internet.

In 2014, the relative share of enterprises having internet access reached 91.4%, or with 2.3 percentage points more in comparison with the previous year. Information and communication technologies were most widely used by the largest enterprises (250 or more persons employed), 99.5% of them had an internet access, while in small enterprises (10 - 49 persons employed) this relative share was 89.9%. More than half of the enterprises with internet access (53.7%) maintained their own webpage or website.

In October 2014, 1 935 accommodation establishments - hotels, motels, camping sites, mountain chalets and other establishments for short-term accommodation with more than 10 bed places were functioned in the country. The total number of the rooms in them was 69.5 thousands and the bed-places were 143.6 thousands. In comparison with October 2013 the total number of accommodation establishments (functioned during the period) increased by 1.9% and the bed-places in them - by 3.5%.

The total number of the nights spent in all accommodation establishments registered in October 2014 was 702.1 thousands or by 2.2% less in comparison with the same month of the previous year. The total revenues from nights spent in October 2014 reached 34.5 million BGN or by 3.7% more compared to October 2013.

In the period January - October 2014 the Bulgarian exports to third countries decreased by 7.1% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and amounted to 13.5 Billion BGN while the imports decreased by 2.8% and added up to 16.5 Billion BGN.

In the period January - October 2014 the total value of all exported goods (both for third countries and EU) amounted to 35.9 Billion BGN and compared to the corresponding period of 2013 the exports decreased by 1.4% while the total value of all imported goods added up to 42.4 Billion BGN and increased by 0.9%.

According to the preliminary data, in October 2014 the index of production in section ‘Construction’, calculated on the base of seasonally adjusted data, was 1.0% below the level of the previous month. In October 2014 the working day adjusted index of production in construction increased by 2.7% in comparison with the same month of 2013.

According to the preliminary seasonally adjusted data in October 2014 the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices decreased by 0.1% compared to the previous month.

According to the preliminary data the Industrial Production Index, seasonally adjusted, increased by 0.5% in October 2014 as compared to September 2014. In October 2014 the working day adjusted Industrial Production Index rose by 0.4% in comparison with the same month of 2013.

According to the seasonally adjusted data, the GDP growth rate in the third quarter of 2014 is 1.5% compared with the same quarter of 2013.

In September 2014 compared to August 2014 an increase of the production of solid fuels by 9.8% and transport diesel - by 2.1% is reported. At the same time a decrease of the production of liquefied petroleum gases by 20.0%, natural gas - by 8.3% and electricity by - 5.7% is reported. No change for the production of unleaded motor gasoline is reported.

In September 2014 compared to August 2014 an increase of the deliveries of solid fuels by 9.4%, transport diesel - by 11.2% and natural gas - by 7.1% is reported. At the same time a decrease of the deliveries of liquefied petroleum gases by 5.0%, unleaded motor gasoline - by 43.1% and electricity - by 4.8% is reported.