Press releases

In May 2014, the number of the trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 427.5 thousand or by 18.1% above the registered in May 2013. The trips with other purposes (as a guest, education and visit the cultural and sport events) in May 2014 composed the greatest share of the total number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad - 42.7%, followed by the trips with holiday and recreation purposes - 31.8%, and with professional purpose - 25.5%.

In May 2014, the number of arrivals of visitors from abroad to Bulgaria was 678.1 or by 8.2% above the level of May 2013. An increase was registered in all observed purposes: with professional purpose - by 9.7%, with other purposes - by 8.7% and with holiday and recreation purpose - by 7.4%.

In June 2014 the total business climate indicator decreases by 1.0 percentage point compared to its level from the previous month which is due to the more unfavourable business climate in industry and service sector.

Preliminary data of the NSI for the first quarter of 2014 indicated that the total hourly labour cost has risen by 3.6% compared to the first quarter of 2013.

The consumer price index in May 2014 compared to April 2014 was 99.5%, i.e. the monthly inflation was -0.5%.

In April 2014, 1 947 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 65.2 thousands and the bed-places were 133.7 thousands. In comparison with April 2013 the total number of accommodation establishments increased by 3.7% and the bed-places in them - by 16.0%.

The total number of the nights spent in all accommodation establishments registered in April 2014 was 699.7 thousands or by 19.9% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year. The total revenues from nights spent in April 2014 reached 31.9 million BGN or by 20.8% more compared to April 2013.

In the period January - March 2014 Bulgarian exports to the EU increased by 0.1% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and amounted to 6.2 Billion BGN while the imports increased by 6.1% and added up to 7.3 Billion BGN.

In March 2014 the exports to the EU increased by 0.1% compared to the corresponding month of the previous year and added up to 2.2 Billion BGN while the imports increased by 6.7% and amounted to 2.5 Billion BGN.

In the period January - April 2014 the Bulgarian exports to third countries decreased by 18.4% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and amounted to 4.7 Billion BGN while the imports decreased by 6.8% and added up to 6.1 Billion BGN.

In the period January - April 2014 the total value of all exported goods (both for third countries and EU) amounted to 12.9 Billion BGN and compared to the corresponding period of 2013 the exports decreased by 8.0% while the total value of all imported goods added up to 16.0 Billion BGN and decreased by 0.1%.

According to the preliminary data, in April 2014 the index of production in section ‘Construction’, calculated on the base of seasonally adjusted data, was 1.3% below the level of the previous month. In April 2014 the working day adjusted index of production in construction decreased by 2.0% in comparison with the same month of 2013.