Press releases

In January 2022, in the conditions of the continuing epidemic situation, the number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 470.2 thousand, or by 54.8% above the registered in January 2021.

In January 2022, the number of arrivals of visitors from abroad to Bulgaria was 445.0 thousand, or by 84.1% above in comparison with January 2021, as the transit was 49.0% (218.3 thousand) of all visits of foreigners in the country.

The Total Producer Price Index in January 2022 increased by 3.2% compared to the previous month and by 32.6% compared to the same month of 2021. The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market in January 2022 increased by 3.4% compared to the previous month; compared to the same month of 2021, the domestic prices rose by 42.0%.

In February 2022, the total business climate indicator increases by 1.4 percentage points compared to the previous month. An improvement of the indicator is observed in industry, retail trade and service sector, and in construction a reduction is registered.

Main results from the short business survey amongst the non-financial enterprises that aims at presenting information on the economic effects of the declared state of emergency and the ensuing epidemic situation in the country due to COVID-19.

In February 2022, the National Statistical Institute conducted the monthly inquiry survey of the managers of accommodation establishments to gather accurate and timely information on the state and development of their businesses during the ensuing epidemic situation in the country.

According to preliminary data during the fourth quarter of 2021 both the goods carried and the transport performance by the freight land and water transport decreased in comparison with the same quarter of 2020, with 14.1% and 17.0% respectively.

Compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year the number of transported passengers by passenger transport (land, water and urban electrical transport) rose by 12.3%. The transport performance also increased by 13.9 % compared to fourth quarter of 2020.

According to the preliminary data for the fourth quarter of 2021, the total turnover index in the section ‘Transportation, storage and post’, calculated on the basis of seasonally adjusted data, increased by 8.1% compared to the third quarter of 2021. In the section ‘Information and communication’ the turnover index increased by 0.1%.

In the fourth quarter of 2021, during the continuing epidemic situation in the country, 800.4 thousand Bulgarian residents made tourist trips. The majority - 93.9% of them travelled only within the country, 5.3% - only abroad and 0.8% - both within the country and abroad. Compared to the same quarter of 2020, the total number of the travelled persons aged 15 and over increased by 69.7%.

In the fourth quarter of 2021 the unemployment rate was 4.5%, and the employment rate of population aged 20 - 64 was 73.6%.

According to the seasonally adjusted flash estimates of GDP has a growth of 4.5% in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared to the same quarter of the previous year.