Preliminary data of the NSI for the second quarter of 2018 indicate that the total hourly labour cost rose by 8.5% compared to the second quarter of 2017.
In July 2018, 3 206 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 136.4 thousand and the bed-places were 312.8 thousand. In comparison with July 2017, the total number of accommodation establishments (functioned during the period) increased by 3.0% while the bed-places in them decreases by 2.5%.
The total number of the nights spent in all accommodation establishments registered in July 2018 was 5 945.3 thousand, or by 1.1% less in comparison with the same month of the previous year.
The total revenues from nights spent in July 2018 reached 336.1 million BGN or by 6.0% more compared to July 2017.
The consumer price index in August 2018 compared to July 2018 was 100.1%, i.e. the monthly inflation was 0.1%.
In the period January - July 2018 the exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries decreased by 23.2% compared to the same period of 2017 and amounted to 8 855.0 Million BGN while the imports of goods from third countries increased by 3.7% and added up to 12 621.9 Million BGN.
In the period January - July 2018 the total value of all exported goods (both for third countries and EU) amounted to 30 463.8 Million BGN, which is 1.8% less than the same period of the previous year, while the total value of all imported goods added up to 36 018.0 Million BGN and grew by 8.3%.
In the period January - June 2018 the exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU increased by 10.7% compared to the same period of 2017 and amounted to 18 104.5 Million BGN while the imports of goods from the EU grew by 9.7% and added up to 19 826.3 Million BGN.
In June 2018 the exports of goods to the EU increased by 4.4% compared to the corresponding month of the previous year and amounted to 3 195.2 Million BGN while the imports of goods from the EU grew by 9.9% and added up to 3 439.6 Million BGN.
In 2017 the goods exported from Bulgaria amounted to 54 598.5 Million BGN or 15.7% more than in 2016. The imported goods in 2017 were for 59 233.4 Million BGN (at CIF prices) which is 15.7% more than the previous year.
According to the preliminary data, in July 2018 the index of production in section ‘Construction’ calculated on the base of seasonally adjusted data was 1.5% above the level of the previous month. In July 2018 the working day adjusted index of production in construction increased by 0.9% in comparison with the same month of 2017.
According to the preliminary seasonally adjusted data in July 2018 the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices increased by 0.2% compared to the previous month.
According to the preliminary data the Industrial Production Index, seasonally adjusted, decreased by 1.2% in July 2018 as compared to June 2018. In July 2018 the working day adjusted Industrial Production Index rose by 1.0% in comparison with the same month of 2017.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the second quarter of 2018 increased by 0.4% in the EU-28 compared to the previous quarter by seasonally adjusted data. For the same period, GDP in Bulgaria increased by 0.8%.