Press releases

In the second quarter of 2024, the newly registered legal entities in the country were 11 328, and those declared bankrupt - 1 005. Compared to the same quarter of 2023, the total number of newly registered increased by 2.7%, and that of bankrupts - by 2.1%.

The distribution by economic sectors shows that the relative share of newly registered legal entities is the largest in sector G ‘Trade; car and motorcycle repair’ - 88.6% of all newly registered units in the second quarter of 2023. Among the companies declaring bankrupt, the largest share is in sector G ‘Trade; repair of cars and motorcycles’ - 77.8% of the total number of bankrupted legal entities.

In June 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 June 2024 compared to June 2023 was 2.5%.

In June 2024, compared to the previous month, the highest decrease was registered in the following groups: ‘Communications’ (-1.5%), ‘Clothing and footwear’ (-1.2%), ‘Transport’ (-0.9%) and ‘Food and non-alcoholic beverages’ (-0.5%). The highest increase in the prices was recorded in the groups: ‘Restaurants and hotels’ (+2.2%), ‘Miscellaneous goods and services’ (+0.4%), ‘Recreation and culture’ (+0.3%) and ‘Health’ (+0.2%).

The monthly inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 0.2% and the annual inflation rate was 2.8%.

In 2023 with effective and conditional sentences were concluded 25 169 crimes and convicted persons were 23 037.

Among the crimes with penalty inflicted, with the highest number and share were generally dangerous crimes - 12 543 (49.8%) for which 11 022 persons were convicted (47.8% of the total number of convicted persons). The second place in the structure were the crimes against the property - 4 748 (18.9%) with 5 069 convicted persons (22.0%).

In the distribution of crimes with an inflicted penalty by the number of offenders, the highest share was of the crimes committed by one person - 95.8%. Two persons committing one crime in complicity was most common in the crimes against the property (9.2%), and crimes committed by three or more persons - in crimes against the order and public peace (5.9%).

The survey results relate to a population of 2 317 407 employees under labour contracts. In October 2022 the average gross hourly earnings are 10.14 BGN. The gross hourly earnings of full-time employees are 10.44 BGN and the gross hourly earnings of part-time employees are 27% lower (7.63 BGN). The gross hourly earnings of females are 9.49 BGN and represent 88% of the earnings of males who earn 10.82 BGN per hour.

The Industrial Production Index decreased by 3.3% in May 2024 compared to the previous month. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

In May 2024, compared to the previous month, a decrease was seen in the mining and quarrying industry - by 10.2%, in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 5.3%, , and in the manufacturing - by 2.3%.

In comparison with May 2023, a decrease of 6.3% was registered in the calendar-adjusted Industrial Production Index.

On an annual basis, a drop of the Industrial Production Index was observed in the mining and quarrying industry - by 15.6%, in the manufacturing - by 6.0%, and in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 1.1%.

In May 2024, the production index in the ‘Construction’ section increased by 1.1% compared to the previous month. An increase was seen in the specialized construction activities - by 2.6%, in the production of building construction - by 0.6%, and in the production of civil engineering - by 0.1%. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

The calendar-adjusted data showed an increase of 4.5% in the construction production compared to the same month of 2023. A rise was registered in the specialized construction activities - by 10.7%, and in the civil engineering - by 3.5%. In the production of building construction, no change was observed.

In May 2024, 2 613 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 105.6 thousand rooms and 233.5 thousand bed-places in them. In comparison with the same month of the previous year, the accommodation establishments increased by 4.9% and the bed-places in them - by 4.4%.

The total number of nights spent was 1 426.9 thousand, or by 14.4% more in comparison to a year earlier, and the number of arrivals in all accommodation establishments increased by 15.9% and reached 611.1 thousand.

The total revenues from nights spent reached 115.9 million BGN, or by 32.2% more compared to the same month of the previous year.

In the period January - April 2024, the exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU decreased by 6.4% compared to the same period of 2023 and amounted to 17 680.1 million BGN, while the imports of goods from the EU decreased by 2.4% and amounted to 19 019.1 million BGN.

In April 2024, the exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU grew by 11.5% compared to the same month of 2023 and amounted to 4 770.5 million BGN, while the imports of goods from the EU grew by 11.9% and amounted to 5 111.1 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’ (30.7%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (32.2%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from the EU was recorded in the section ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (82.5%), while the most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ (15.0%). Data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries decreased by 7.3% compared to the same period of 2023 and amounted to 11 969.4 million BGN, while the imports of goods from third countries increased by 4.0% and added up to 16 488.4 million BGN.

Тhe most notable growth in the exports was recorded in the sections ‘Chemical and related products n.e.c.’ (10.7%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Food and live animals’ (24.7%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from third countries was recorded in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (42.8%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Machinery and transport equipment’ (6.2%). The data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The total value of all exported goods to third countries and the EU amounted to 34 145.7 million BGN in the period January - May 2024, which is 6.6% 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 39 735.9 million BGN and dropped by 1.4%.

In May 2024, the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices decreased by 0.8% compared to the previous month. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

A decrease was reported in ‘Retail sales of non-food products (except fuel)’ - by 9.7% and in ‘Retail sales of automotive fuel in specialised stores’ - by 3.4%, while ‘Retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco’ kept the level of the previous month.

The calendar-adjusted data show that the turnover rose by 1.6% compared to May 2023.

In May 2024, compared to the same month of 2023, an increase in turnover was registered in the ‘Retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco’ - by 9.4% and in the ‘Retail sales of non-food products (except fuel)’ - by 1.0%. А decrease was reported in the ‘Retail sales of automotive fuel in specialised stores’ - by 13.5%.