Press releases

According to data from the additional questionnaire under the Household Budget Survey in the second quarter of 2023, the income of 78.0% of households remained unchanged compared to the previous 12 months. 70.6% of respondents have difficulties in covering daily expenses, but they decreased by 6.2 percentage points compared to the previous quarter. Nearly 1/4 of people limit their energy consumption.

The survey is conducted under the project ‘Income and Living Conditions (ILC) - Statistical infrastructure under IESS - SILC 2024, 6-year module ‘Access to services’ - Pilot collection of annual data for 2023’ under Grant Agreement with the European Commission № 101122129 - 2022-BG-ILC-SILC. The additional survey aims to carry out quarterly monitoring of changes in the living conditions of households. For the study, 5 512 persons aged 16 and over from 3 050 households were surveyed.

The results of the additional survey can be viewed in the press releases under the heading ‘Income, expenditure and consumption of households’.

In the second quarter of 2023:

- The unemployment rate was 4.6%, or 0.1 percentage point higher in comparison with the second quarter of 2022;

- The employment rate of the population aged 15 - 64 increased by 0.3 percentage points in comparison with the same quarter of 2022 and reached 70.3%;

- The activity rate of the population aged 15 - 64 was 73.7%, increasing by 0.3 percentage points in comparison with the second quarter of 2022.

The data was from the Labour Force Survey - a sample statistical survey. It is carried out over a sample of non-institutional households. Quarterly, 19.6 thousand households, randomly selected, are observed.

The producer price index in Forestry increased by 22.5% in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the previous year, as a result of an increase in both the prices of wood in the rough from coniferous - by 20.1%, and the prices of wood in the rough from non-coniferous - by 24.4%.

Compared to the same quarter of 2022, there is a 25.9% increase in the price of wood in the rough.

Detailed data are published on the NSI website under the heading 'Forestry'.

According to the seasonally adjusted data, GDP had a growth rate of 1.8% in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

In July 2023, 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 July 2023 compared to July 2022 was 8.5%.

In July 2023, compared to the previous month, the highest increase was recorded in the prices for Recreation and culture (+7.5%), Restaurants and hotels (+2.9%), Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (+1.8%) and Health (+0.7%). The decrease was registered for Clothing and footwear (-1.4%) and Miscellaneous goods and services (-0.1%).

In July 2023, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 1.2% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in July 2023 compared to July 2022 was 7.8%.

According to data from the Household Budget Survey in the second quarter of 2023, the quarterly total income average per household member during the second quarter of 2023 is 2 668 BGN and increases by 20.9% compared to the same quarter of 2022.

The quarterly total expenditure average per household member during the second quarter of 2023 is 2 379 BGN and increases by 21.3% compared to the same quarter of 2022.

The consumption of most basic food products on average per household member during the second quarter of 2023 decreased compared to the same quarter of 2022. The biggest decrease is in bread and paste product consumption  - from 18.9 kg to 17.7 kg and yoghurt - from 7.4 kg to 6.8 kg.

More information on the household budget survey and its results could be found on the NSI website under the heading of Households Income and Expenditure and the Information System INFOSTAT.

The producer price index in agriculture for the second quarter of 2023 decreased by 6.4% in comparison with the same quarter of 2022 as a result of a decrease in the price index of crop output by 19.5%, while the index of animal output increased by 14.8%.

Compared to the previous year, the prices of agricultural output decreased by 4.8%, as in crop output they decreased by 15.8% and in animal output they increased by 12.9%.

In crop output, in the second quarter of 2023, compared to the same quarter of 2022, the highest drop was recorded in the prices of industrial crops by 32.1%. The trend also remained in comparison to 2022, with a decrease in industrial crops of 24.0%.

In animal output, in the second quarter of 2023, compared to the same quarter of 2022, the prices of live animals increased by 19.6%, and animal product output increased by 9.3%. Compared to 2022, the increase was 18.8% and 6.0%, respectively.

The price index of products and services for current consumption in agriculture for the second quarter of 2023 was lower by 6.1% compared to the same quarter of the previous year and by 5.1% compared to 2022.

The biggest increase compared to the second quarter of 2022 was recorded in the prices of: seed and planting material - 18.0%, animal feedingstuffs - 9.2%, and veterinary expenses - 7.4%.

Compared to the previous year, the biggest increase was in the prices of: seed and planting material - 11.6%, animal feedingstuffs - 8.4%, and veterinary expenses - 6.8%.

The number of employees under labour contract at the end of June 2023 increased by 25.2 thousand, or 1.1%, as compared to the end of March 2023 and reached 2.33 million according to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI).  The highest increase was observed in economic activities: ‘Accommodation and food service activities’ - by 29.1%, ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’- by 3.8% and ‘Real estate activities’ - by 1.8%. The highest decrease of the number of employees by 1.6% was recorded in economic activity ‘Education’.

In the second quarter of 2023, in comparison with the first quarter of 2023, the average monthly wages and salaries increased by 4.0% and reached 1 957 BGN. The highest increase in wages and salaries was reported in ‘Construction’ - by 8.5%, ‘Accommodation and food service activities’ - by 8.3% and in ‘Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply’ - by 7.5%.

For the period July 3rd - August 6th 2023 dead persons in Bulgaria are 8 956 and they are 1 154 less than during the same period in 2022. The data on deaths in Bulgaria for period (27th - 31st week) and by week are available at the following links:

Mortality | Infostat (infostat.nsi.bg)

Deaths in Bulgaria by weeks | National statistical institute (nsi.bg)

The National Statistical Institute publishes data from the "System of Health Accounts" survey for 2021. The survey is carried out in accordance with the Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1901 implementing Regulation (EC) N 1338/2008 as regards statistics on healthcare expenditures and financing.

The System of Health Accounts provides statistical information on health expenditure by type of provider; by functions according to the aims of the medical activities (curative care, rehabilitation, clinical laboratory, sanitary transport, etc.) and according to the financial sources. The aim is to assess all healthcare expenditures - both public and household, spending of non-profit organizations (foundations, associations), private health insurance funds, enterprises for activities in labour medicine.

The total current health expenditure in 2021 is BGN 11 893.5 million, with almost two-thirds of them (64.7%) being expenditure on Government schemes and compulsory contributory health care financing schemes (ministries and administrations, municipalities, NHIF, NSSI). The outlined trend of reduction in household out-of-pocket payment continues, and in the current year their share is 34.0% of the total current health expenses (35.5% in 2020). Almost unchanged is the share of the expenditure of Voluntary health care payment schemes (Voluntary health insurance schemes, NPISH financing schemes, Enterprise financing schemes for occupational medicine) – 1.3%.

When analyzing the data, it should be kept in mind that all institutional and analytical statistical units that have functions according to the classification of functions, regardless of whether they are units of the Health sector as economic activities in statistical practice are included in the survey coverage. In addition, when estimating the current health expenditure in 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic and any measures taken to limit its spread also have an impact.

Detailed data on the System of health accounts are available to all users on the NSI website under the heading Health - System of Health Accounts.