Press releases

The Total Producer Price Index in Industry rose by 4.9% in January 2025 compared to the previous month. An increase of 11.7% was registered in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, in the manufacturing industry - by 6.1%, and in the mining and quarrying industry - by 3.5%.

The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market increased by 5.4% in January 2025 compared to December 2024. The domestic prices grew in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 17.5%, and in the manufacturing industry - by 6.0%, while in the mining and quarrying industry a decrease by 0.1% was reported.

The Total Producer Price Index went up by 12.5% in January 2025 compared to the same month in 2024. An increase was observed in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 34.2%, in the mining and quarrying industry - by 27.1%, as well as in the manufacturing industry - by 8.5%.

The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market increased by 14.4% compared to January 2024. The prices rose in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 41.2%, in the mining and quarrying industry - by 19.3%, and in the manufacturing industry - by 6.9%.

The National Statistical Institute has published final 2023 data on research and development (R&D) activity. In 2023, the total amount of expenditure on research and development activity (R&D) was 1 467.5 million BGN, which was 15.9% more than the previous year. The personnel engaged in R&D activity amounted to 25 410 persons (in full-time equivalent), which was 6.2% less compared to 2022.

Detailed data are published on the website of NSI under the heading “Research and development activity (R&D)”.

In January 2025, the number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 600.4 thousand, or 11.7% above the registered number in January 2024. An increase in the trips with all the observed purposes was registered.

The number of visits of non-residents to Bulgaria was 739.0 thousand, or 0.3% less in comparison with the same month of the previous year. А decrease by 5.9% was registered in the trips with other purposes, while those with holiday and recreation purposes and with professional purposes increased by 6.5% and 2.9% respectively. The transit passes through the country were 28.4% (210.1 thousand) of all visits of non-residents to Bulgaria.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, there was an increase in both the goods carried by freight transport and the transport performance by 6.2% and 15.0% respectively in comparison with the previous quarter. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

The passengers carried by passenger transport (land, water and urban electrical transport) decreased by 6.6%, while the transport performance rose by 1.6% due to an increase in international carriages and the average distance travelled respectively.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same period of the previous year:

• The goods carried by land transported were 7.9% less and the transport performance decreased by 2.6%;
• The inland waterway and maritime transport carried 39.8 thousand tonnes more goods, and the performance, measured in tonne-kilometers, recorded a 20.0% rise;
• The number of passengers carried by land transport dropped by 3.7%, whereas the performance marked a 4.3% rise;
• The water passenger transport marked a decline of 0.4 thousand passengers, while the performance increased by 1.2%;
• The urban electric transport enterprises carried 10.7 thousand passengers more and the performance also rose by 27.4%.

In 2024, the average annual gross wages and salaries of the employees under labour contract was 27 881 BGN according to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute. In comparison with 2023, the increase was 13.9%, as in the public sector it was 14.8% and in the private sector - 13.5%.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Annual statistics on employment and labour cost'.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, 1.1 million Bulgarian residents made tourist trips. The majority of them - 74.4% travelled only in the country, 20.5% - only abroad, and 5.1% - both in the country and abroad. Compared to the same quarter of 2023, the number of travelled persons aged 15 and over decreased by 7.2%.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the expenditure on acquisition of tangible fixed assets in all sectors of the economy amounted to 9 676 million BGN, which is 31.6% more compared to the previous quarter. The data are preliminary.

Detailed data are published on the website of NSI under the heading “Investments”.

According to data from the Household Budget Survey, during the fourth quarter of 2024 the quarterly total income average per household member was 3 371 BGN and it increased by 17.6% compared to the same quarter of 2023.

The quarterly total expenditure average per household member during the fourth quarter of 2024 was 3 033 BGN and increased by 13.7% compared to the same quarter of 2023.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, there were changes in the consumption of basic food products on average per person compared to the same quarter of 2023. The biggest increase was in the consumption of fruit and meat. The consumption of bread and paste products and vegetables decreased.

The producer price index in Forestry decreased by 13.0% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year (on an annual basis).

The change is a result of the decrease in both the prices of wood in the rough from coniferous - by 13.5%, and non-coniferous trees - by 12.7%.

A decrease - by 9.4%, is observed as well in the prices of wood in the rough in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the same quarter of 2023.

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

The producer price index in agriculture for the fourth quarter of 2024 increased by 8.6% in comparison with the same quarter of 2023 as a result of the increase in the crop output price index - by 11.5%, and in the animal output price index - by 0.9%.

Compared to the previous year (on an annual basis), the prices of agricultural output went up by 3.1%, as in crop output they increased by 4.5% and in animal output they fell by 0.6%.

In crop output, in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter of 2023, the most significant rise was recorded in the prices of industrial crops - by 31.3%, as a result of the rise in the price of sunflower - by 34.1%. The trend was also retained on an annual basis compared to 2023, with an increase in industrial crops - by 20.9%.

In animal output, in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter of 2023, the prices of live animals went down by 2.5%, while prices for livestock products increased by 5.7%. Compared to 2023 (on an annual basis), a decrease was reported in the prices of live animals - by 4.3%, while prices of animal products increased - by 4.7%.

The agricultural consumer goods and services price index for the fourth quarter of 2024 decreased by 2.2% compared to the same quarter of the previous year and by 5.0% compared to 2023 (on an annual basis).

The biggest decrease, compared to the corresponding quarter of 2023, was recorded in the prices of: electricity and fuels - by 8.0%, and mineral fertilizers - by 6.7%.

Compared to the previous year, the most significant decline was in the prices of: mineral fertilizers - by 21.0%, and of animal feedingstuffs - by 6.5%.