Press releases

In 2023, the number of first residence permits issued to third-country nationals with a validity of at least three months was 19 375, which is with 22.3% more than in 2022.

The highest was the number of permissions to stay for reasons related to remunerated activities - 6 466, followed by the permissions for reasons related to family formation and reunification - 6 160.

The ‘EU Blue Card’ residence permits were 924, which is with 195 less than the previous year. 4 299 permits for residence and work type ‘Single Permit’ were issued.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Residence permits for foreigners'.

In the first quarter of 2024, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 1.8% compared to the first quarter of 2023.

In April 2024, the total consumer confidence indicator increases by 1.5 percentage points compared to its January 2024 level.

During the first quarter of 2024, 70.9% of GDP was spent on individual consumption.

The relative share of gross fixed capital formation in GDP in the first quarter of 2024 was 14.2%.

The employment rate for the population aged 15 years and over was 52.8%.

The unemployment rate was 5.0% (compared to 4.4% in the first quarter of 2023), and it was the same for men and women.

In the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023 the total hourly labour cost rose by 15.8% (preliminary data).

In the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023, housing prices rose by 16.0%.

For May 2024, revenues of subsector ‘Central Government’ were reported in the amount of BGN 4 072.26 million and expenditures - BGN 4 361.90 million, and for the subsector ‘Social Security Funds’, the revenues amounted to BGN 2 253.19 million, and the expenditures were BGN 2 376.99 million.

The data for the ‘Central Government’ subsector are formed on the basis of the monthly cash statements of the budget units, as well as on estimates of the state enterprises reclassified in the subsector, and the data for the ‘Social Security Funds’ subsector - on the basis of the monthly cash statements of the National Insurance Institute and the National Health Insurance Fund.

The information is published on the basis of Article 3 (2) of Directive 2011/85 of the EU.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Government Finance Statistics'.

In June 2024, the total business climate indicator decreases by 0.9 percentage points in comparison with May, which is due to the unfavourable business climate in the retail trade and in the service sector.

The most serious difficulties for the activity of the enterprises in the sectors remain connected with the uncertain economic environment, shortage of labour, competition in the branch, costs of materials and insufficient demand.

The Total Producer Price Index in Industry rose by 2.7% in May 2024 compared to the previous month and fell by 1.2% compared to May 2023.

The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market increased by 4.5% in May compared to April 2024 and went down by 4.3% compared to May 2023.

In April 2024, compared to March 2024, an increase is reported in the production of:  liquefied petroleum gases - by 37.5%, motor gasoline - by 12.5%, and transport diesel - by 3.4%. A decrease is reported for the production of: solid fuels - by 41.1%, and electricity - by 3.4%. There is no change in the production of natural gas.

Compared to April 2023, the production of liquefied petroleum gases, motor gasoline and transport diesel increased significantly, due to unusually low production during the same month of the previous year, and it currently reaches its usual levels. An increase is reported also in the production of electricity - by 4.3%. A decrease is reported only in the production of solid fuels – by 52.8%. There is no change in the production of natural gas.

In April 2024, compared to March 2024, an increase is reported only in the deliveries of motor gasoline - by 19.4%. A decrease is reported in the deliveries of: solid fuels - by 38.5%, natural gas - by 24.9%, transport diesel - by 19.5%, electricity - by 19.1%, and liquefied petroleum gases - by 7.7%.

Compared to April 2023, an increase is reported in the deliveries of: motor gasoline - by 43.3%, and transport diesel - by 3.6%. A decrease is reported in the deliveries of: solid fuels - by 42.9%, liquefied petroleum gases - by 20.0%, electricity - by 11.0%, and natural gas - by 3.3%.

From 2024, NSI started publishing quarterly Services Producer Price Indices by base year 2021=100 in accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council for European Business Statistics and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197.

The total producer price index in Services of the business economy increased by 1.7% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous quarter and by 4.3% in comparison to the same quarter of 2023.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading ‘Short-term Business Statistics’.

In 2023, the government budget allocations for Research and Development (GBARD) amounted to 417.5 million BGN, which was 14.1% more than the previous year.

The distribution of the government budget allocations for R&D by socio-economic objectives shows that the largest is the share (48.5%) of the state support for research aimed at ‘General advancement of knowledge’, which mainly includes the research carried out by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and by the higher schools.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading ‘Government budget allocations for R&D (GBARD) by socio-economic objectives’.

The main causes of death among the entire population and in 2023 were diseases of the circulatory system. 61.1% of the deaths are caused by them. The mortality rate was 957.1 per 100 thousand of the population, with the intensity being higher among men - 964.3 per 100 thousand men against 950.4 per 100 thousand women.

In the second place in the structure of the causes of death among the entire population were neoplasms (16.5%), and in third place - diseases of the respiratory system (4.9%). COVID-19 is the underlying cause of death in only 1% of all deaths.

Detailed data from the survey are available to all users on the website of NSI in the section ‘Health’ – Deaths by causes and mortality by causes, as well as in IS Infostat.

According to final SBS data annual reports on their activity for 2022 were submitted at the National Statistical Institute by 394 135 non-financial enterprises. The number of persons employed in the non-financial enterprises was 2 165 657. The non-financial enterprises generated 276 452 072 thousand BGN of the production value and reported a turnover of 510 657 330 thousand BGN.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading ‘Non-financial Enterprises’.