Statistical data

In the first quarter of 2019 the unemployment rate was 5.0%, by 0.7 percentage points lower in comparison with the first quarter or 2018.

The consumer price index in April 2019 compared to March 2019 was 100.5%, i.e. the monthly inflation was 0.5%.

According to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute at the end of March 2019 the number of employees under labour contract increased by 1.1% as compared to the end of December 2018 and reached 2.32 million.

In the first quarter of 2019 in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2018 the average monthly wages and salaries increased by 3.2% getting 1 208 BGN.

In In the period January - February 2019 the Bulgarian exports to the EU grew by 9.3% compared to the same period of 2018 and amounted to 6 334.3 Million BGN while the imports from the EU increased by 1.4% and reached 6 229.9 Million BGN.

In February 2019 the exports to the EU increased by 17.4% compared to the corresponding month of the previous year and amounted to 3 169.7 Million BGN while the imports grew by 11.1% and added up to 3 239.3 Million BGN.

In the period January - March 2019 the exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries increased by 13.4% compared to the same period of  2018 and amounted to 4 335.0 Million BGN while the imports of goods from third countries increased by 11.2% and added up to 5 506.6 Million BGN.

In the period January - March 2019 the total value of all exported goods to third countries and EU amounted to 13 942.1Million BGN, which is 8.9% more than the same period of 2018, while the total value of all imported goods from third countries and EU added up to 15 253.2 Million BGN and grew by 3.5%.

Life expectancy at birth of the Bulgarian population calculated for the period 2016 - 2018 is 74.8 years.

Life expectancy at birth for male population is 71.4 years, while for female it is 7.0 years higher - 78.4 years.

The number of detached crèches and groups in kindergartens functioning in the country as of 31.12.2018 was 840 with 33 226 places in them.

The number of children accommodated in crèches at the end of the year was 31 939. 16 449 of them were boys, and 15 490 - girls.

The total number of places in crèches per 100 children aged up to 3 years as of 31.12.2018 was 17.3 and the coverage of children brought up in crèches - 16.6 per 100 children aged up to 3 years.

According to the preliminary data, in March 2019 the index of production in section ‘Construction’ calculated on the base of seasonally adjusted data was no change the level of the previous month. In March 2019 the working day adjusted index of production in construction increased by 8.4% in comparison with the same month of 2018.

According to the preliminary seasonally adjusted data in March 2019 the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices increased by 0.3% compared to the previous month.

According to the preliminary data the Industrial Production Index, seasonally adjusted, decreased by 0.9% in March 2019 as compared to February 2019. In March 2019 the working day adjusted Industrial Production Index rose by 2.8% in comparison with the same month of 2018.