Press releases

In April 2020, in a state of emergency declared on 13.03.2020, 506 accommodation establishments - hotels, motels, camping sites, mountain chalets and other establishments for short-term accommodation with more than 10 bed-places were functioned in the country. The total number of the rooms in them was 15.0 thousand and the bed-places were 28.6 thousand. In comparison with April 2019, the total number of accommodation establishments (functioned during the period) decreased by 75.3% and the bed-places in them - by 81.9%.

The total number of the nights spent in all accommodation establishments registered in April 2020 was 49.5 thousand, or by 94.9% less in comparison with the same month of the previous year.

The total revenues from nights spent in April 2020 reached 2.3 million BGN or by 95.5% less compared to April 2019.

In the context of state of emergency in the country in April 2020, the survey shows an increase of the pessimism in consumers’ assessments and expectations in comparison with January. The total consumer confidence indicator decreases by 17.4 percentage points compared to its level 3 months ago, which is due to the decreased confidence of both rural and urban inhabitants by 18.5 and 17.0 percentage points respectively.

According to the preliminary data, in April 2020 the index of production in section ‘Construction’ calculated on the base of seasonally adjusted data was 0.7% below the level of the previous month. In April 2020 the working day adjusted index of production in construction decreased by 15.0% in comparison with the same month of 2019.

According to the preliminary seasonally adjusted data in April 2020 the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices decreased by 1.4% compared to the previous month.

According to the preliminary data in April 2020 the Industrial Production Index, seasonally adjusted, went down by 11.4% as compared to March 2020. In April 2020 the working day adjusted Industrial Production Index fell by 15.7% in comparison with the same month of 2019.

According to the preliminary data, GDP per person employed increased by 2.5% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

According to the seasonally adjusted data, the GDP growth rate in the first quarter of 2020 is 2.4% compared with the same quarter of 2019.

According to preliminary data during the first quarter of 2020 in comparison with the same period of 2019 the goods carried and the transport performance by the freight land and water transport decreased, respectively by 9.3% and 1.3%.

In the first quarter of 2020 there was a decrease both in the transported passengers (by 10.4%) and the transport performance (by 30.9) from the passenger transport (land, water and urban electrical transport) compared to the same period of the previous year.

In March 2020 compared to February 2020 an increase is reported for the production of electricity - by 3.3%. During the same period, a decrease is reported for the production of solid fuels - by 16.7%, liquefied petroleum gases - by 20.0%, unleaded motor gasoline - by 7.2% and transport diesel - by 2.3%. No change for the production of natural gas.

In March 2020 compared to February 2020 an increase is reported for the deliveries of transport diesel - by 10.7%. During the same period, a decrease is reported for the deliveries of solid fuels - by 16.2%, liquefied petroleum gases - by 11.8%, natural gas - by 4.4% and electricity - by 3.8%. No change for the deliveries of unleaded motor gasoline.

In April 2020, the collapse of the trips of Bulgarian citizens abroad and the visits of foreigners to Bulgaria continued due to the suspension of international flights and the closure of the land borders because of the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

In April 2020, the number of the trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 75.3 thousand or by 87.9% under the registered in April 2019.

In In April 2020, the number of arrivals of visitors from abroad to Bulgaria was 81.2 thousand or by 88.9% less in comparison with April 2019.