Statistical data

During the period 2020 - 2022, 26.1% of the enterprises with 10 or more persons employed carried out an innovation activity. The innovation activity of the enterprises in the industrial sector (32.9%) was higher than of those in the services sector (19.6%). The largest share of innovation active enterprises was in the group of large enterprises (with 250 or more persons employed) - 72.3% in industry and 66.5% in services. 

In 2022, the turnover of innovation active enterprises constituted 51.9% of the turnover, and the persons employed - 51.8% of the persons employed in all enterprises. 

During the observation period, 15.0% of all enterprises realized product innovations (new or improved goods or services), while 17.8% implemented new or improved business processes.

Almost half (49.4%) of the enterprises with product innovations realized goods or services that were new not only to them but to the market as well, i.e. not previously offered by their competitors.

In May 2024, the number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 808.3 thousand, or 4.6% above the registered in May 2023. The trips with other purposes formed the greatest share of the total number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad - 41.0%, followed by those with holiday and recreation purposes - 40.4%, and with professional purposes - 18.6%.

The number of visits of non-residents to Bulgaria was 992.4 thousand, or 6.6% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year. Тhe predominant share of the visits was with other purposes - 47.9%, followed by trips with holiday and recreation purposes - 38.1%, and with professional purposes - 14.0%.

Transit passes through the country were 35.4% (351.0 thousand) of all visits of non-residents to Bulgaria.

In Bulgaria during 2023, 10 361 books and pamphlets were published, which is with 1 467 less than the previous year. The highest number was fiction for adults - 2 995 titles, followed by scientific literature - 2 136. The titles of translated publications were 2 688. More than half of them were translated from English (57.7%), followed by the editions from French - 8.4%, German - 5.9% and Russian - 5.9%. The highest number of books and pamphlets being published was in Sofia (stolitsa) district - 6 887, followed by Plovdiv (756) and Varna (625) districts.

In 2023, 180 newspapers were issued, of which 21 - daily newspapers, and compared to the previous year, their number decreased by 11 and 4. The highest number of newspapers issued was in Sofia (stolitsa) district - 45.6% of all editions. In 2023, were published 428 magazines and 47 bulletins, and in comparison with 2022, the number of magazines decreased by 14, and the number of bulletins also decreased by 14.

The total export price index during the first quarter of 2024 is 94.4%, which is a drop of 3.5 percentage points in the index compared to the same period of the previous year.

The total import price index for the reporting period is 97.6%, which is a 2.2 percentage points below the level of the index compared to the same period of 2023.

Preliminary data on export and import price indices for the fourth quarter of 2024 by sectors of the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC, rev. 4) are published on NSI website under the heading ‘Exports and Imports price indices’.

The housing prices increased by 7.1% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous quarter (fourth quarter of 2023). The highest increase was recorded in Varna (+9.0%), followed by Sofia (+8.6%) and Stara Zagora (+5.2%). A decrease was registered in Ruse (-0.9%).

In the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023, housing prices rose by 16.0%.

Detailed data are published on the NSI website under the heading 'Housing price statistics'.

In the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023, the total hourly labour cost rose by 15.8% (preliminary data). The total hourly labour cost increased by 13.9% in industry, by 16.3% in services and by 19.3% in construction.

The highest annual growth in total labour costs was recorded in ‘Other service activities’ - by 20.8%, ‘Accommodation and food service activities’ - by 20.6%, and ‘Construction’ - by 19.3%.

In 2023, price levels for household final consumption expenditure differed widely across the EU. The highest price levels were recorded in Denmark (143% of the EU average). The lowest levels were recorded in Bulgaria and Romania (both with 60%), according to the provisional estimates for 2023.

In 2023, actual individual consumption (AIC) per capita expressed in purchasing power standards (PPS) varied from 70% to 138% of the EU average across the 27 EU countries. In Bulgaria, the level was 26% below the EU average, according to the provisional estimates for 2023.

GDP per capita ranged from 64% to 239% of EU average. In 2023, GDP per capita in Bulgaria was 36% below the average for the EU-27.

The number of health establishments for hospital aid at the end of 2023 was 341 with 55 724 beds. The number of hospital beds was 864.5 per 100 000 persons of the total population.

The number of out-patient health establishments was 2 237 with 1 307 beds for short term treatment. The number of other health establishments was 149 with 1 742 beds in them.

On a basic contract in the health establishments in the country were practicing:

• 29 911 physicians;
• 7 607 dentists, as 6 583 of them worked in practices that had signed а contract with National Health Insurance Fund;
• 44 523 health care professionals and other medical specialists, as 28 570 of them are nurses and 3 253 midwives.

The number of physicians per 10 000 persons of the total population at the end of 2023 was 46.4 and the number of dentists per 10 000 persons of the total population was 11.8.

In May 2024, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was -0.2% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in May 2024 compared to May 2023 was 2.3%.

In May 2024, compared to the previous month, the highest decrease was registered in the following groups: ‘Communications’ (-1.5%), ‘Recreation and culture’ (-1.0%), ‘Transport’ (-0.9%) and ‘Food and non-alcoholic beverages’ (-0.5%). The highest increase in the prices was recorded in the groups: ‘Alcoholic beverages and tobacco’ (+1.0%), ‘Restaurants and hotels’ (+0.6%), ‘Clothing and footwear’ (+0.6%) and ‘Miscellaneous goods and services’ (+0.6%).

The monthly inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 0.0% and the annual inflation rate was 2.7%.