Statistical data

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.

In 2022 in Bulgaria were operating the following cultural institutions:

•  186 museums with museum collection of 7 804 thousand units;
•  72 theatres, which organized 13 193 performances, visited by 1 712 thousand viewers;
•  49 libraries with library collection over 200 thousand library units;
•  85 cinemas with 227 cinema screens;
•  3 319 community cultural centers (chitalishte).

Life expectancy at birth of the Bulgarian population, calculated for the period 2020 - 2022, is 71.9 years.

Life expectancy at birth for the male population is 68.3 years, while for females it is 7.5 years higher - 75.8 years.

In the first quarter of 2023:

- The unemployment rate was 4.4%, or 0.4 percentage points lower in comparison with the first quarter of 2022;

- The employment rate of the population aged 15 - 64 increased by 1.6 percentage points in comparison with the same quarter of 2022 and reached 70.4%;

- The activity rate of the population aged 15 - 64 was 73.7%, increasing by 1.4 percentage points in comparison with the first quarter of 2022.

The data was from the Labour Force Survey - a sample statistical survey. It is carried out over a sample of non-institutional households. Quarterly, 19.6 thousand households, randomly selected, are observed.

The total income average per household member during the first quarter of 2023 is 2 394 BGN and increases by 19.3% compared to the same quarter of 2022.

The total expenditure average per household member during the first quarter of 2023 is 2 149 BGN and increases by 18.0% compared to the same quarter of 2022.

The consumption of most basic food products average per household member during the first quarter of 2023 decreased compared to the same quarter of 2022. The biggest decrease is in the consumption of bread and paste products - from 19.2 kg to 18.6 kg and meat - from 9.5 kg to 9.2 kg.

In April 2023, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was 0.3% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in April 2023 compared to April 2022 was 11.6%.

In April 2023, compared to the previous month, the highest price increase was registered for Clothing and footwear (+5.4%), Miscellaneous goods and services (+1.0%), Restaurants and hotels (+1.0%), Furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house (+0.9%) and Alcoholic beverages and tobacco (+0.8%). The decrease was recorded in the prices for Recreation and culture (-0.8%), Communications (-0.5%) and Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (-0.2%).

In April 2023, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 0.5% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in April 2023 compared to April 2022 was 10.3%.