Press releases

Тhe index of production in the ‘Construction’ section decreased by 1.1% in June 2023 compared to the previous month. The production of civil engineering fell by 1.6% and the production of building construction - by 0.6%.

Compared to June 2022, the index of production in construction went down by 2.2%. A decrease was registered both in civil engineering - by 4.8%, and in building construction - by 0.2%.

In June 2023, the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices kept the level of the previous month. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

The turnover in ‘Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores’ was unchanged compared to May 2023, an increase was reported in ‘Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco’ - by 0.8%, while in ‘Retail sale of non-food products (except fuel)’ a decrease was registered - by 1.2%.

The calendar-adjusted turnover went up by 2.4% compared to the same month in 2022.

An increase was observed in ‘Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores’ (9.7%) and in ‘Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco’ (4.2%), while in ‘Retail sale of non-food products (except fuel)’ a decrease was registered (0.5%).

The Industrial Production Index increased by 0.7% in June 2023 compared to the previous month. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

A growth was reported in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 6.6%, in the mining and quarrying industry - by 4.2%, and in the manufacturing - by 0.4%.

In June 2023, a drop of 9.3% was registered in the calendar-adjusted Industrial Production Index in comparison with the same month in 2022.

Compared to June 2022, a drop was observed in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 27.4%, in the mining and quarrying industry - by 10.8%, and in the manufacturing - by 6.2%.

In June 2023, 3 232 accommodation establishments - hotels, motels, camping sites, mountain chalets and other establishments for short-term accommodation with 10 or more bed-places, functioned in the country with 138.4 thousand rooms and 310.1 thousand bed-places in them. In comparison with June 2022, the accommodation establishments increased by 4.6% and the bed-places in them - by 5.1%.

The total number of nights spent was 3 337.9 thousand, or by 18.2% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year.

The number of arrivals in all accommodation establishments increased by 16.4% compared to the same month of 2022 and reached 975.5 thousand.

The total revenues from nights spent reached 229.2 million BGN, or by 28.2% more compared to June 2022.

The exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries increased by 3.1% compared to the period January - June 2022 and amounted to 16 001.5 million BGN, while the imports of goods from third countries dropped by 15.4% and added up to 19 452.2 million BGN.

Тhe most notable growth in the exports of goods to third countries compared to the period January - June 2022 was recorded in the sections ‘Machinery and transport equipment’ (68.7%) and ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (38.9%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (36.3%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from third countries was recorded in the sections ‘Beverages and tobacco’ (21.5%) and ‘Machinery and transport equipment’ (19.5%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (38.6%). The data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The total value of all exported goods to third countries and the EU amounted to 44 433.4 million BGN in the period January - June 2023, which is 3.1% less 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 48 783.4 million BGN and dropped by 6.2%.

In the period January - May 2023, the exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU decreased by 4.6% compared to the same period of 2022 and amounted to 23 702.4 million BGN, while the imports of goods from the EU grew by 4.3% and reached 24 496.8 million BGN.

In May 2023, the exports to the EU decreased by 16.0% compared to the corresponding month of the previous year and amounted to 4 741.9 million BGN, while the imports dropped by 2.3% and amounted to 4 963.8 million BGN.

The most notable growth in the exports of goods to the EU in the period January - May 2023 compared to the same period of 2022 was recorded in the section ‘Beverages and tobacco’ (19.1%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (67.2%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from the EU was recorded in the section ‘Machinery and transport equipment’ (24.2%), while the most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (59.8%). Data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

According to preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute in the second quarter of 2023, the number of newly built residential buildings was 1 180, and the newly built dwellings in them were 5 198. Compared to the second quarter of 2022, the buildings were by 17 less (or by 1.4%), and the newly built dwellings in them increased by 1 121 more, or 27.5%.

75.3% of the newly built residential buildings had steel-concrete construction, 20.9% had solid structure, 3.6% had ‘other’ and 0.2% had a panel. The highest is the relative share of houses (78.7%), followed by blocks of flats (15.6%).

The highest is the number of residential buildings built in the district of Sofia (stolitsa) - 204 residential buildings with 1 168 dwellings, followed by Plovdiv - 163 residential buildings with 449 dwellings, and Burgas - 130 buildings with 1 352 dwellings in them.

The highest is the number of newly built dwellings with three rooms (32.9%), followed by the number of those with two rooms (32.0%), and the lowest is the number of dwellings with six and more rooms (4.2%).

In the second quarter of 2023, the total useful space of newly built dwellings was 500.1 thousand sq. m, or 17.6% more, compared to the same quarter of 2022, and the living floor space increased (by 16.0%) to 395.5 thousand sq. meters.

The average useful floor space of a newly built dwelling decreased from 104.3 sq. m in the second quarter of 2022 to 96.2 sq. m in the same quarter of 2023.

The biggest average useful floor space of a newly built dwelling was recorded in the districts of Silistra - 212.9 sq.m and Sofia - 157.0 sq. m, and the smallest ones in Burgas- 53.0 sq. m, and Veliko Tarnovo- 72.3 sq. meters.

In July 2023, the total consumer confidence indicator increases by 3.2 percentage points compared to its April level (from -28.7% to -25.5%), which is entirely due to the increased confidence among the urban population.

In the second quarter of 2023, the municipal authorities issued building permits for the construction of 2 035 residential buildings with 12 078 dwellings, 14 administrative buildings/offices and 1 374 other buildings.

The issued building permits for new residential buildings and administrative buildings decreased by 9.5% and 30.0% respectively as compared to the second quarter of 2022. The issued building permits for other buildings have shown an increase of 18.0%.

The construction of 1 515 residential buildings with 8 136 dwellings, 23 administrative buildings/offices and 620 other buildings was started.

As compared to the second quarter of 2022, the number of started new residential buildings increased by 9.1%, administrative buildings - by 109.1%, and the number of started other buildings rose by 2.6%.

In May 2023, compared to April 2023, an increase is reported for the production of: liquefied petroleum gases - by 100.0%, transport diesel - by 41.5%. The production of motor gasoline significantly increase, due to unusually low production in April 2023, as currently reaches its usual levels. A decrease is reported for the production of: solid fuels - by 27.5%, electricity - by 17.8%. 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 62.5%, natural gas - by 50.0%, liquefied petroleum gases - by 33.3%, electricity - by 30.5%, transport diesel - by 16.2%, and motor gasoline - by 6.9%.

In May 2023, compared to April 2023, an increase is reported for the deliveries of: motor gasoline - by 53.3%, transport diesel - by 24.6%. A decrease is reported for the deliveries of: natural gas - by 29.2%, solid fuels - by 25.5%, electricity - by 8.5%, and liquefied petroleum gases - by 4.4%.

Compared to the same month of 2022, an increase is reported for the deliveries of: liquefied petroleum gases - by 26.5%, motor gasoline - by 4.5%, transport diesel - by 4.0%, and electricity - by 0.7%. A decrease is reported for the deliveries of: solid fuels - by 66.2%, and natural gas - by 25.0%.