Statistical data

In November 2024, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was 0.6% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in November 2024 compared to November 2023 was 2.1%.

In November 2024, compared to the previous month, the highest increase was registered in the following groups: ‘Food and non-alcoholic beverages’ (+1.4%), ‘Recreation and culture’ (+1.3%), ‘Alcoholic beverages and tobacco’ (+0.7%) and ‘Transport’ (+0.7%). The highest decrease in the prices was recorded in the groups: ‘Clothing and footwear’ (-1.3%) and ‘Furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house’ (-0.4%).

The monthly inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 0.3% and the annual inflation rate was 2.0%.

At the end of September 2024, the number of employees under labour contract and contract according to the Civil Servants Act reached 99.1 thousands. The employees in Central administration were 56.5 thousands (57.0%) and in Territorial administration - 42.6 thousands (43.0%).

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Labour Market'.

The exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries decreased by 3.9% compared to the same period of 2023 and amounted to 25 432.8 million BGN, while the imports of goods from third countries increased by 7.1% and added up to 34 703.6 million BGN.

The most notable growth in the exports was recorded in the section ‘Chemical and related products n.e.c.’ (11.4%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (38.9%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from third countries was recorded in the section ‘Crude materials, inedible (except fuel)’ (26.4%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Beverages and tobacco’ (2.6%). The data are according to the Standard International Trade Classification.

The total value of all exported goods to third countries and the EU amounted to 70 946.7 million BGN in the period January - October 2024, 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 80 829.4 million BGN and increased by 0.2%.

In the period January - September 2024, the exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU decreased by 3.6% compared to the same period of 2023 and amounted to 40 590.3 million BGN, while the imports of goods from the EU decreased by 5.4% and amounted to 40 817.6 million BGN.

In September 2024, the exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU decreased by 5.0% compared to the same month of 2023 and amounted to 4 350.9 million BGN, while the imports of goods from the EU decreased by 1.7% and amounted to 4 528.8 million BGN.

The most notable growth in the exports of goods to the EU compared to the same month of 2023 was recorded in the section ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (30.5%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Food and live animals’ (16.7%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from the EU was recorded in the section ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (70.9%), while the most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ (13.0%). Data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

In October 2024, 2 237 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 70.3 thousand rooms and 148.5 thousand bed-places in them. In comparison with the same month of the previous year, the number of accommodation establishments increased by 0.2%, while the bed-places in them decreased by 1.4%.

The total number of nights spent was 1 081.1 thousand, or 1.4% more in comparison to a year earlier, and the number of arrivals in all accommodation establishments increased by 3.6% and reached 511.1 thousand.

The total revenues from nights spent reached 97.6 million BGN, or by 16.5% more compared to the same month of the previous year.

Since July 2024, NSI has started publishing Industrial Production Indices by base year 2021 = 100 in accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council for European Business Statistics and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197.

The Industrial Production Index went down by 0.7% in October 2024 compared to the previous month. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

In October 2024, compared to September 2024, a decline was seen in the mining and quarrying industry - by 22.9%, in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 4.8%, while an increase was registered in the manufacturing - by 1.3%.

In comparison with October 2023, a decrease of 1.6% was reported in the calendar-adjusted Industrial Production Index.

On an annual basis, a decline of the Industrial Production Index was observed in the mining and quarrying industry - by 10.0%, and in the manufacturing - by 0.1%, while an increase was registered in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 7.9%.

Since July 2024, NSI has started publishing Construction Production Indices by base year 2021 = 100 in accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council for European Business Statistics and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197.

In October 2024, the production index in the ‘Construction’ section increased by 0.1% compared to the previous month. An increase was seen in the building construction - by 1.2% and in the production of civil engineering - by 0.5%. Production of specialized construction activities decreased by 1.3%. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

The calendar-adjusted data showed an increase of 6.3% in the construction production compared to the same month of 2023. Specialized construction activities rose by 8.9%, civil engineering - by 7.1%, and construction of buildings - by 3.5%.

In the third quarter of 2024, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 2.4% compared to the third quarter of 2023 and there was an increase of 0.6% compared to the second quarter of 2024 at seasonally adjusted data.

According to the preliminary data, GDP per person employed increased in real terms by 1.7% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

The trend of annual growth of the relative share of households with internet access continued - in 2024, 92.1% of the households in Bulgaria had access to the global network at home. Their relative share increased by 3.6 percentage points compared to the previous year. 94.7% of the households living in urban areas had internet access and for those resided in rural areas the relative share was 84.3%.

81.9% of the individuals aged between 16 and 74 years used the internet every day or at least once a week at any location (home, work or other places), and the share of people who had never surfed the internet decreased to 9.3%.

The internet was used mostly for communication by the individuals as 71.4% of them carried out phone or video calls (using applications such as Viber, WhatsApp, Skype, FaceTime, Messenger, Snapchat, Zoom, MS Teams, Webex), 65.0% participated in social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.), and 64.9% used instant messaging (using applications such as Viber, WhatsApp, Messenger, Snapchat, Skype, Discord, Telegram).