In March 2025, the total business climate indicator decreases by 0.5 percentage points in comparison with February, as а decrease of the indicator is registered only in the industry.
The most serious difficulties for the business development in the sectors continue to be connected with the uncertain economic environment, shortage of labour, competition in the branch and insufficient demand.
The Total Producer Price Index in Industry rose by 2.8% in February 2025 compared to the previous month. An increase of 6.5% was registered in the mining and quarrying industry, and in the manufacturing industry - by 4.2%. A decrease was observed in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 1.2%.
The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market went up by 2.5% in February 2025 compared to January 2025. The domestic prices grew in the mining and quarrying industry - by 6.5%, and in the manufacturing industry - by 5.4%, while in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply was reported a decrease by 1.6%.
The Total Producer Price Index rose by 16.2% in February 2025 compared to the same month in 2024. An increase was observed in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 42.6%, in the mining and quarrying industry - by 30.0%, as well as in the manufacturing industry - by 11.4%.
The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market increased by 19.1% compared to February 2024. The prices rose in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 49.1%, in the mining and quarrying industry - by 21.9%, and in the manufacturing industry - by 11.1%.
In February 2025, the number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 538.2 thousand, or 7.8% above the registered in February 2024. An increase in the trips with all observed purposes was registered.
The number of visits of non-residents to Bulgaria was 720.6 thousand, or 3.1% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year. An increase in the trips with all observed purposes was registered. Transit passes through the country were 29.6% (213.3 thousand) of all visits of non-residents to Bulgaria.
The total producer price index in Services of the business economy increased by 0.9% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the previous quarter and by 4.4% in comparison with the same quarter of 2023.
Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading ‘Short-term Business Statistics’.
In 2024, Luxembourg and Ireland recorded the highest level of GDP per capita in the EU, at 141% and 111% above the EU average. Bulgaria was the Member State with the lowest GDP per capita, at 34% below the EU average.
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2024, the number of job vacancies, according to data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI), was 16.8 thousand, increasing by 4.7% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. The job vacancy rate (the proportion of the number of job vacancies to the total sum of number of occupied posts and the number of vacancies) was 0.7%.
Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Labour Market'.
The housing prices increased by 2.7% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the previous quarter (third quarter of 2024). The highest increase was recorded in Ruse (+8.0%), followed by Plovdiv (+5.9%), Varna (+5.1%) and Stara Zagora (+4.5%).
In the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, housing prices rose by 18.3%.
Detailed data are published on NSI’s website under the heading 'Housing price statistics'.
The total export price index during the fourth quarter of 2024 was 99.5%, which is a 10.1 percentage points increase in the index compared to the same period of the previous year.
The total import price index for the reporting period was 99.7%, which is a 3.2 percentage points increase in the index compared to the same period of the previous year.
The total export price index in 2024 was 96.0%, which is a 3.0 percentage points increase in the index compared to the previous year.
The total import price index in 2024 was 98.2%, which is a 1.9 percentage points increase in the index compared to the previous year.
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 the NSI website under the heading 'Exports and imports price indices'.
In 2023, expenditures amounting to 71 856,43 BGN million were reported.
The data of the "General Government" sector are developed using the reports on the implementation of the consolidated fiscal program provided by the Ministry of Finance, as well as assessments of the government enterprises reclassified in the sector.
Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Government Finance Statistics'.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, the total hourly labour cost rose by 12.8% (according to preliminary data). The total hourly labour cost increased by 11.5% in industry, by 13.1% in services and by 17.3% in construction.