Press releases

In December 2023, the index of production in the ‘Construction’ section decreased by 0.4% compared to the previous month. The production of building construction fell by 1.2%, while the production of civil engineering rose by 0.7%. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

The calendar-adjusted data showed a decrease of 3.6% in construction production compared to the same month of 2022. A decrease was registered both in building construction by 4.5% and in civil engineering - by 2.4%.

The exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries decreased by 2.9% compared to 2022 and amounted to 31 385.5 million BGN, while the imports of goods from third countries dropped by 19.7% and added up to 38 766.8 million BGN.

Тhe most notable growth was recorded in the sections ‘Beverages and tobacco’ (28.5%) and ‘Food and live animals’ (22.1%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (29.6%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from third countries was recorded in the sections ‘Beverages and tobacco’ (12.6%) and ‘Food and live animals’ (9.8%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (50.4%). The data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The total value of all exported goods to third countries and the EU amounted to 86 562.7 million BGN in 2023, which is 6.8% less than the previous year, while the total value of all imported goods from third countries and the EU added up to 96 870.7 million BGN and dropped by 10.2%.

In the period January - November 2023, the exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU decreased by 9.0% compared to the same period of 2022 and amounted to 51 278.9 million BGN, while the imports of goods from the EU decreased by 2.5% and reached 53 340.3 million BGN.

In November 2023, the exports to the EU decreased by 16.5% compared to the corresponding month of the previous year and amounted to 4 520.0 million BGN, while the imports fell by 8.4% and added up to 5 081.6 million BGN.

The most notable growth in the exports of goods to the EU compared to the same period of 2022 was recorded in the section ‘Beverages and tobacco’ (13.0%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (64.6%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from the EU was recorded in the section ‘Beverages and tobacco’ (17.1%), while the most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (64.7%). Data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

In January 2024, the total consumer confidence indicator increases by 6.7 percentage points compared to its October 2023 level. An increase of consumer confidence among both urban and rural inhabitants - by 8.8 and 2.0 percentage points, respectively, is reported.

According to preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute in the fourth quarter of 2023, the number of newly built residential buildings was 1 529, and the newly built dwellings in them were 6 350. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2022, the buildings were by 57 less (or by 3.6%), and the newly built dwellings in them increased by 1 101, or by 21.0%.

76.8% of the newly built residential buildings had steel-concrete construction, 19.5% had solid structure, 3.3% had ‘other’ and 0.4% had a panel. The highest is the relative share of houses (78.3%), followed by blocks of flats (14.1%).

The highest is the number of residential buildings built in the district of Sofia (stolitsa) - 267 residential buildings with 1 823 dwellings, followed by Plovdiv - 230 residential buildings with 636 dwellings, and Varna - 174 buildings with 1 390 dwellings in them.

The highest is the number of newly built dwellings with two rooms (38.9%), followed by the number of those with three rooms (34.4%), and the lowest is the number of dwellings with five rooms (4.8%).

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the total useful space of newly built dwellings was 644.4 thousand sq. m, or by 10.3% more, compared to the same quarter of 2022, and the living floor space increased (by 10.9%) to 504.5 thousand sq. meters.

The average useful floor space of a newly built dwelling decreased from 111.3 sq. m in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 101.5 sq. m in the same quarter of 2023.

The biggest average useful floor space of a newly built dwelling was recorded in the districts of Silistra - 227.8 sq. m, and Gabrovo - 171.4 sq. m, and the smallest ones in Montana - 71.1 sq. m, and Varna - 72.4 sq. meters.

In December 2023, the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices decreased by 0.6% compared to the previous month. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

A decrease was registered in ‘Retail sale of non-food products (except fuel)’ - by 2.7%, and there was an increase by 1.1% in ‘Food, beverages and tobacco’, while the turnover in ‘Automotive fuel in specialised stores’ kept the level of the previous month.

The calendar-adjusted turnover grew by 0.7% compared to the same month in 2022.

A rise by 9.2% was observed in ‘Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco’. Decrease was registered in ‘Automotive fuel in specialised stores’ and in ‘Non-food products (except fuel)’ - by 3.6% and 3.2%, respectively.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the municipal authorities issued building permits for the construction of 2 275 residential buildings with 16 788 dwellings, 22 administrative buildings/offices and 1 261 other buildings.

The issued building permits for new residential buildings increased by 19.0% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2022. The issued building permits for administrative buildings and other buildings rose by 22.2% and 6.6% respectively.

The construction of 1 535 residential buildings with 7 382 dwellings, 8 administrative buildings/offices and 641 other buildings was started.

As compared to the fourth quarter of 2022, the number of started new residential buildings and other buildings increased by 22.6% and 15.5% respectively. The number of started administrative buildings decreased by 42.9%.

In December 2023, revenues of the subsector ‘Central Government’ were reported in the amount of BGN 5 320.24 million and expenditures - BGN 9 674.51 million, and for the subsector ‘Social Security Funds’ the revenues amounted to BGN 2 658.54 million, and the expenditures are BGN 2 867.70 million.

The data of 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 of 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 January 2024, the total business climate indicator increases by 3.0 percentage points in comparison with December 2023, as a growth of the indicator is registered in all observed sectors - industry, construction, retail trade and services.

The uncertain economic environment, shortage of labour, competition in the branch, insufficient demand and costs of materials continue to be the main factors limiting the business development in the sectors.

The Total Producer Price Index in Industry fell by 0.6% in December 2023 compared to the previous month. Lower prices were registered in the manufacturing industry by 0.8%, and in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 0.4%. The mining and quarrying industry marked a rise of 2.6%.

The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market decreased by 0.4% in December compared to November 2023. The domestic prices went down in the manufacturing industry by 0.7% and in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 0.3%, while in the mining and quarrying industry the prices increased by 0.8%.

The Total Producer Price Index went down by 14.6% in December 2023 compared to the same month in 2022. There was a considerable decrease in prices in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 40.4%, and in the mining and quarrying industry by 1.6%. An increase by 0.3% was observed in the manufacturing industry.

The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market fell by 19.8% compared to December 2022. A drop was reported in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 39.5%, in the mining and quarrying industry by 3.0%, while in the manufacturing industry the prices went up by 0.1%.