Press releases

In the period July - December 2023, the electricity and natural gas prices, including all taxes, levies and VAT (incl. state compensations) for non-household customers decreased compared to the period January - July 2023. The largest decrease in electricity is recorded in group I5 with annual consumption between 20 000 and 70 000 MWh - 16.2%, and in natural gas - in group I4 with annual consumption between 100 000 and 1 000 000 GJ and group I5 with annual consumption between 1 000 000 and 4 000 000 GJ, respectively with 28.9% and 28.6%.

In the same period, for household customers, opposite trends are observed for the two energy products. Electricity prices, including all taxes, levies and VAT, show a slight increase compared to the previous six-month period, as the highest is recorded in group D4 with annual consumption between 5 000 and 15 000 kWh - 5.7%. The natural gas prices, including all taxes, levies and VAT, decrease in all groups compared to the previous six-month period, with the largest decrease in group D3 with annual consumption over 200 GJ - 22.1%.

On an annual basis, in 2023, compared to the previous year 2022, the electricity and natural gas prices with all taxes, levies and VAT (including state compensations) for non-households customers decrease for all groups. The largest decrease in the final electricity price is registered in group I7 - the biggest consumers, by 26.5%, and in natural gas in group I5 with annual consumption between 1 000 000 and 4 000 000 GJ by 51.9%. The main reason for this is the decrease in the value of the ‘Energy and Supply’ component, and more specifically the prices of electricity and natural gas, which are its main element.

For households customers, on annual basis in 2023 versus 2022, opposite trends are also observed for the two energy products. Electricity prices including all taxes, levies and VAT show a slight increase compared to the previous year, which is related to an increase in the value of the ‘Network Costs’ component by more than 10% in each group. The largest increase is registered in group D4 with annual consumption between 5 000 and 15 000 kWh - 4.3%. The natural gas prices, including all taxes, levies and VAT, decrease as the largest decrease is registered in group D3 - the biggest consumers, by 21.1%. The reason is the decrease in the value of the ‘Energy and Supply’ component, and more specifically in the price of natural gas, which is its main element, by more than 30% for all groups.

Data are representative for the country - all suppliers of electricity/natural gas provide data on household and final non-household customers, for the quantities delivered through transmission/distribution network. They are calculated as weighted average prices by the actual delivered quantities of electricity/natural gas and the corresponding invoiced values to final customers, by standard annual consumption bands,  for the observed six-month period in the following two directions:

• By levels of taxation - data is reported twice а year, for the periods January to June and July to December.
• By components and sub-components - data is collected every semester, but is reported annually as arithmetic average prices.

The information is published pursuant to REGULATION (EU) 2016/1952 on European statistics on natural gas and electricity prices.

Detailed data on electricity and natural gas prices are published on the NSI website under the heading ‘Energy’.

Expenditure on tourist trips of persons 15 years and over in 2023 was estimated at 3 406.0 million BGN and increased by 24.2% in comparison to 2022. Those made in the country amount to 2 036.2 million BGN, and abroad - BGN 1 369.8 million BGN.

Expenditure for private trips represents 96.3% (including tourist packages) and increased by 26.3% compared to 2022, while those for professional travel are 3.7% of all expenses and decreased by 13.5%.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Tourism'.

In 2022, according to the final data on emissions into the atmosphere, there is an increase in emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and a decrease in emissions of methane and carbon monoxide compared to 2021. There is no change in emissions of nitrogen dioxide and ammonia.

Emissions of sulphur oxides in 2022 are 73 thousand tons, of nitrogen oxides - 96 thousand tons, and of non-methane volatile hydrocarbons - 76 thousand tons.

Combustion processes are the main contributors to emissions of sulphur oxides (82%) and carbon dioxide (67%). Production processes are the predominant contributor to non-methane volatile hydrocarbon emissions (51%). The main contributor to the emissions of ammonia (97%), carbon monoxide (85%), nitrous oxide (95%), methane (78%), non-methane volatile organic compounds (47%) and nitrogen oxides (62%) is the group ‘Other sources’, which includes agriculture, transport, household fuel combustion, waste and wastewater treatment activities and services.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Environment'.

In February 2024, the number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 499.0 thousand, or 10.7% above the registered in February 2023.

The trips with other purposes (as a guest, education and visiting cultural and sports events) composed the greatest share of the total number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad - 49.4%, followed by those with holiday and recreation purposes - 26.6%, and with professional purpose - 23.0%.

The number of visits of non-residents to Bulgaria was 698.9 thousand, or 15.6% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year. The predominant share of the visits was with other purposes - 47.2%, followed by trips with holiday and recreation purposes - 39.1%, and with professional purpose - 13.7%.

Transit passes through the country were 31.5% (220.0 thousand) of all visits of non-residents to Bulgaria.

In 2023, Luxembourg and Ireland recorded the highest level of GDP per capita in the EU, at 140% and 112% above the EU average. Bulgaria was the Member State with the lowest GDP per capita, at 36% below the EU average.

The total export price index during the fourth quarter of 2023 is 89.6%, which is a 38.3 percentage points decrease in the index compared to the same period of the previous year.

The total export price index in 2023 is 92.9%, which is a 33.0 percentage points decrease in the index compared to the previous year.

The total import price index for the reporting period is 95.9%, which is a 23.2 percentage points decrease in the index compared to the same period of the previous year.

The total import price index in 2023 is 96.2%, which is a 23.1 percentage points decrease in the index compared to the previous year.

Preliminary data on export and import price indices for the fourth quarter of 2023 by sectors of the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC, rev. 4) are published on the NSI website under the heading heading ‘Exports and Imports price indices’.

The housing prices increased by 1.2% in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the previous quarter. The highest increase was recorded in Stara Zagora (+8.2%), followed by Burgas (+6.3%) and Varna (+1.7%). A decrease was registered in Plovdiv (-0.5%) and Sofia (-0.1%).

In the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to the fourth quarter of 2022, housing prices rose by 10.1%.

Detailed data are published on the NSI website under the heading 'Housing price statistics'.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to the fourth quarter of 2022, the total hourly labour cost rose by 11.7% (preliminary data). The total hourly labour cost increased by 10.6% in industry, by 10.4% in services and by 19.5% in construction.

The highest annual growth in total labour costs was recorded in ‘Public administration and defence; compulsory social security’ - by 19.8%, ‘Construction’ - by 19.5%, and ‘Education’ - by 17.0%.

According to the results of the Labour Force Survey, in 2023:

- The activity rate of the population aged 15 - 64 was 73.9%, increasing by 0.2 percentage points in comparison with 2022.

- The employment rate of the population aged 15 - 64 was 70.7%.

- The unemployment rate was 4.3%, or 0.2 percentage points higher in comparison with 2022.

The Labour Force Survey is a sample statistical survey. It is carried out over a sample of non-institutional households. Quarterly, about 19.6 thousand households, randomly selected, are observed through a face-to-face interview.

In 2023, the goods carried by road freight transport were over 165 million tonnes, which was 3.0% more compared to 2022. An increase of 4.4% was registered for domestic transport, while for international transport, a decrease by 3.0% was observed.

The transport performance, measured in tonne-kilometers, decreased by 5.7% in comparison with the previous year, which is due to an 11.8% drop in international transport. The domestic transport recorded a 12.2% rise.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Transport', Road freight transport.