Press releases

In the first quarter of 2023, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 2.3% and Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2.7% compared to the first quarter of 2022 (data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted).

The increase in Gross Value Added is determined by the growth in the following economic activities:

Construction - 7.0%, Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; transportation and storage; accommodation and food service activities - 5.9%, Information and communication - 3.2%, Real estate activities - 3.2%, Public administration and defence; compulsory social security; education; human health and social work activities - 1.6%, Financial and insurance activities - 1.1%, Agriculture, forestry and fishing - 1.1%, Mining and quarrying; manufacturing; electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply; water supply, waste management and remediation activities - 0.1%.

A decline was registered in Arts, entertainment and recreation, repair of household goods and other services - 0.8%.

Regarding the expenditure components of GDP, contributors to the registered positive economic growth are the Final consumption, with a growth of 2.1% and gross fixed capital formation - 1.8%.

According to the seasonally adjusted data, in the first quarter of 2023, exports of goods and services increased by 2.3%, while the imports of goods and services decreased by 2.3% compared to the first quarter of 2022.

According to the preliminary data, GDP per person employed increased in real terms by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the first quarter of 2022.

In the first quarter of 2023, the National Statistical Institute continued conducting an additional survey to the Household Budget Survey, which aims to carry out quarterly monitoring of changes in the living conditions of households. For the study, 5 682 persons aged 16 years and over from 3 053 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 March 2023, compared to February 2023, for the production of energy products, no increase is observed for any of the products. A decrease is reported for the production of: solid fuels - by 28.8%, transport diesel by - 15.9%, electricity - by 9.9%, and unleaded motor gasoline - by 5.2%. No change for the production of liquefied petroleum gases and natural gas.

In March 2023, compared to the same month of the previous year, for the production of energy products, no increase is observed for any of the products. A decrease is reported for the production of: natural gas - by 50.0%, solid fuels - by 44.7%, transport diesel - by 34.8%, unleaded motor gasoline - by 32.1%, liquefied petroleum gases - by 28.6%, and electricity - by 28.0%.

In March 2023, compared to February 2023, an increase is reported for the deliveries of natural gas - by 0.4%. A decrease is reported for the deliveries of: solid fuels - by 29.7%, transport diesel - by 17.6%, unleaded motor gasoline - by 12.8%, electricity - by 4.5%, and liquefied petroleum gases - by 2.3%.

In March 2023, compared to the same month of the previous year, an increase is reported for the deliveries of liquefied petroleum gases - by 34.4%. A decrease is reported for the deliveries of: solid fuels - by 50.2%, transport diesel - by 37.2%, unleaded motor gasoline - by 35.8%, natural gas - by 26.0%, and electricity - by 10.6%.

The Total Producer Price Index in Industry went down by 2.3% in April 2023 compared to the previous month. Lower prices were registered in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 8.3%, and in the manufacturing by 0.1%. The prices increased by 1.4% in the mining and quarrying industry.

The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market fell by 3.2% in comparison with March 2023. The domestic prices went down in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 7.0%, and in the manufacturing by 0.8%. The prices raised in the mining and quarrying industry by 2.2%.

The Total Producer Price Index went down by 3.5% in April 2023 compared to the same month in 2022. Prices fell in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 19.0%, and in the mining and quarrying industry by 2.1%. Higher prices were seen in the manufacturing by 3.6%.

The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market decreased by 4.7% compared to April 2022. Lower prices were reported in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 18.1%. An increase was observed in the manufacturing by 6.5%, and in the mining and quarrying industry by 1.1%.

In May 2023, the total business climate indicator increases by 4.0 percentage points compared to April as a growth of the indicator is registered in all observed sectors - industry, construction, retail trade and in services.

The main obstacle for the business development continues to be connected with the uncertain economic environment.

The goods carried decreased by 14.9%, while the transport performance from the freight land and water transport increased by 0.8% during the first quarter of 2023 in comparison with the same quarter of 2022. The data are preliminary.

By 24.1% rose the number of transported passengers by the passenger transport (land, water and urban electrical transport) in the first quarter of 2023. The transport performance also increased by 19.6%.

Freight land transport
The transported goods by the land transport were by 16.1% less and the transport performance rose by 1.1% than the first quarter of 2022.

Freight water transport
The transported goods by the water transport increased by 23.8%. The transport performance, measured in tonne-kilometres, decreased by 15.6%.

Passengers land transport
The number of the transported passengers was by 18.9% more and the transport performance rose by 17.6% compared to the same quarter of 2022.

Passengers water transport
In the first quarter of 2023, there was an increase of the transported passengers from the water transport by 9.7 thousand passengers as well in the transport performance by 235.2 thousand pkm.

Urban electrical transport
During the period January - March of 2023 the enterprises performing urban electrical transport transported by 31.7% more passengers. The transport performance increased by 30.9%.

In April 2023, the number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 675.0 thousand or 14.3% above the registered in April 2022.

The trips with other purposes (as a guest, education and visiting cultural and sports events) in April 2023 composed the greatest share of the total number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad - 46.3%, followed by those with holiday and recreation purpose - 33.0%, and with professional purpose - 20.7%.

In April 2023, the number of visits of non-residents to Bulgaria was 784.4 thousand or 21.4% more in comparison with April 2022. An increase in the trips with all observed purposes was registered. Transit passes through the country were 36.7% (287.9 thousand) of all visits of non-residents to Bulgaria.

In the first quarter of 2023, 1 010.8 thousand Bulgarian residents made tourist trips. The majority of them - 82.2% travelled only in the country, 15.4% - only abroad and 2.4% - 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 43.7%.

The turnover index in the section ‘Transportation, storage and post’ increased by 1.2% for the first quarter of 2023 compared to the previous quarter. In the section ‘Information and communication’ was seen an increase of the turnover by 6.0%. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

During the first quarter of 2023, the turnover index in the section ‘Transportation, storage and post’ increased by 13.8% compared to the same quarter of 2022. The turnover in the section ‘Information and communication’ rose by 19.4%. The data are preliminary and calendar-adjusted.