Press releases

In the third quarter of 2016 the unemployment rate was 7.0% and the employment rate of population aged 20 - 64 was 68.5%.

The consumer price index in October 2016 compared to September 2016 was 100.2%, i.e. the monthly inflation was 0.2%.

The investment business inquiry of NSI carried out among industrial enterprises in October 2016 shows that the entrepreneurs expect the investments in the current year to be with 15.2% less in comparison with the previous 2015.

In September 2016, 2 725 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 124.4 thousand and the bed-places were 278.4 thousand. In comparison with September 2015 the total number of accommodation establishments (functioned during the period) increased by 3.1% and the bed-places in them - by 5.1%.

The total number of the nights spent in all accommodation establishments registered in September 2016 was 3 073.6 thousand, or by 27.1% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year.

The total revenues from nights spent in September 2016 reached 146.0 million BGN or by 28.8% more compared to September 2015. 

According to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute at the end of September 2016 the number of employees under labour contract decreased by 1.9% as compared to the end of June 2016 and reached 2.31 million.

In the third quarter of 2016 in comparison with the second quarter of 2016 the average monthly wages and salaries decreased by 0.5% getting 941 BGN.

In the period January - August 2016 the Bulgarian exports to the EU grew by 4.8% compared to the same period of 2015 and amounted to 20 178.2 Million BGN while the imports from the EU increased by 1.1% and reached 21 750.0 Million BGN.

In August 2016 the exports to the EU grew by 8.8% in comparison with the corresponding month of the previous year and amounted to 2 681.6 Million BGN while the imports added up to 2 783.6 Million BGN and grew by 18.1%.

In the period January - September 2016 the Bulgarian exports to third countries decreased by 12.0% compared to the same period of 2015 and amounted to 10 719.0 Million BGN while the imports dropped by 11.1% and added up to 12 326.4 Million BGN.

In the period January - September 2016 the total value of all exported goods (both for third countries and EU) amounted to 33 740.1 Million BGN and in comparison with the corresponding period of the previous year the exports decreased by 0.5% while the total value of all imported goods added up to        36 807.7 Million BGN and dropped by 3.3%.

According to the preliminary data the Industrial Production Index, seasonally adjusted, decreased by 0.2% in September 2016 as compared to August 2016. In September 2016 the working day adjusted Industrial Production Index rose by 3.3% in comparison with the same month of 2015.

According to the preliminary data, in September 2016 the index of production in section ‘Construction’ calculated on the base of seasonally adjusted data was 0.5% below the level of the previous month. In September 2016 the working day adjusted index of production in construction decreased by 10.0% in comparison with the same month of 2015.

According to the preliminary seasonally adjusted data in September 2016 the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices decreased by 0.2% compared to the previous month.