Press releases

The National Statistical Institute presents the results of the annual surveys in the field of environmental statistics for 2023.

In 2023, 99.4% of the population in the country were connected to public water supply. The water delivered to the households was 250.08 mill. m3, reporting a slight decrease compared to 2022 - by 0.4%. In 2023, 4.6% from the population in the country were on water supply regime (due to drought).

The generated municipal waste in 2023 was 3 165 thousand tons. Compared to 2022, there was an increase of 0.24%. The generated waste per capita for 2023 was 491 kg - 16 kg more than the amount per capita for 2022.

In 2023, 508 thousand tons of packages were placed on the market, and their decrease, compared to 2022, was 2.86%. Plastic packaging was 142 thousand tons and a decrease of 4.41%, compared to 2022, was recorded.

The availability of the tangible fixed assets with ecological use by accounting value at the end of the 2023 was 11 483 million BGN. Compared to 2022, there was an increase of 1.0% (11 092 million BGN).

The value of the revenues of the municipal administrations in 2023 was 2 472 million BGN. Compared to 2022, they increased by 5.18%. Part of these revenues were the taxes and fees for municipal waste, the value of which in 2023 was 782 million BGN and their level increased by 4.0% compared to 2022.

744 points of noise level measurement were surveyed in 2023, located in 36 settlements, and levels above the permissible norms were measured in 518 points. The cities with the largest number of established exceedances of the permissible norms in the higher frequencies, more dangerous for the human health, were: Sofia (stolitsa), Plovdiv, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Kyustendil, Stara Zagora, Pleven and others.

In 2023, the area of protected natural scenery in Bulgaria amounted to 585 500 ha or 5.3% of the country’s territory and compared to 2022 an increase by 664 ha was registered. At the end of 2023, there were 1 047 protected natural areas in Bulgaria. The biggest relative share was the natural parks - 43.8% (11), followed by the national parks - 25.8% (3), and reserves - 13.2% (55), etc.

In 2023, the area of deposits for underground reserves increased by 42% and was 1 505 thousand decares in total. The proven reserves of brown coal were 9 437 thousand tons – they decreased by 2% compared to 2022. The probable reserves of lead-zinc ores registered a decrease of 1.67% compared to the previous year.

In 2024, the number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 8 796.8 thousand, or 7.9% above the registered in 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 - 42.8%, followed by those with holiday and recreation purposes - 38.7%, and with professional purpose - 18.5%.

The number of visits of non-residents to Bulgaria was 13 249.5 thousand, or 4.9% more in comparison with the previous year. The predominant share of the visits was with other purposes - 45.7%, followed by trips with holiday and recreation purposes - 43.7%, and with professional purpose - 10.6%.

The transit passes through the country were 34.9% (4 629.4 thousand) of all visits of non-residents to Bulgaria.

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

In January 2025, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was 2.0% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in January 2025, compared to January 2024, was 3.7%, according to the preliminary data of NSI.

In January 2025, compared to the previous month, the highest increase was registered in the following groups: ‘Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels’ (+4.6%), ‘Food and non-alcoholic beverages’ (+2.5%), ‘Communications’ (+2.4%) and ‘Restaurants and hotels’ (+2.2%). A decrease in the prices was recorded only in group ‘Clothing and footwear’ (-4.3%).

The monthly inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 1.8% and the annual inflation rate was 3.8%.

According to the seasonally adjusted data, GDP had a growth rate of 3.1% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

According to the results from the Labour Force Survey, in the fourth quarter of 2024:

- The unemployment rate was 3.8%, by 0.4 percentage points lower compared to the fourth quarter of 2023;

- The employment rate of the population aged 15 - 64 increased by 0.2 percentage points in comparison with the same quarter of 2023 and stood at 70.7%;

- The activity rate of the population aged 15 - 64 was 73.6%, by 0.1 percentage points lower compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.

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

Number of employees at the end of December 2024 decreased by 0.5%, compared to the end of September, and reached 2.31 million. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the average wages and salaries was 2 413 BGN, increasing by 6.1% compared to the third quarter.

In December 2024, 2 253 accommodation establishments - hotels, motels, camping sites, mountain chalets and other establishments for short-term accommodation, with 10 or more bed-places, functioned in the country with 65.0 thousand rooms and 134.9 thousand bed-places in them. In comparison with the same month of the previous year, the number of accommodation establishments increased by 1.1%, and the bed-places in them - by 2.2%.

The total number of nights spent was 1 001.7 thousand, or 0.6% more in comparison to a year earlier, and the number of arrivals in all accommodation establishments decreased by 1.7% and reached 484.7 thousand.

The total revenues from nights spent reached 100.2 million BGN, or by 11.6% more compared to the same month of the previous year.

In 2023, Yugozapaden region had the biggest share (50.2%) in the GDP of Bulgaria, while Severozapaden region had the lowest share (6.9%) in the GDP of the country.

In 2023, the highest level of GDP per capita was in Sofia (stolitsa) - 61 833 BGN, compared to the average 28 733 BGN for the country.

For the statistical zone Severna i Yugoiztochna Bulgaria (Northern and Southeastern Bulgaria) (NUTS I) GDP was 68.059 billion BGN, while the GDP of Yugozapadna i Yuzhna tsentralna Bulgaria (Southwestern and South-Central Bulgaria) statistical zone (NUTS I) was 117.174 billion BGN.

NSI publishes data for Gross value added and GDP by regions and by economic sectors, according to common definitions and concepts used in the development of a standard system of national accounts for the country and underpin the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010).

In 2023, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Bulgaria amounted to 185.233 billion BGN. According to the preliminary announced calendar, in 2024, a harmonized benchmark revision of the gross domestic product was conducted, which comprised also the regional GDP data for the period 2018 - 2022 .

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Gross Domestic Product (GDP)'.

The Industrial Production Index decreased by 1.6% in December 2024 compared to the previous month. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

In December 2024, compared to November 2024, a decrease was seen in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 7.4%, and in the manufacturing - by 1.6%, while an increase was registered in the mining and quarrying industry - by 21.4%.

In comparison with November 2023, a decrease of 3.9% was reported in the calendar-adjusted Industrial Production Index.

On an annual basis, a drop of the Industrial Production Index was observed in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 28.8%, and in the manufacturing - by 1.2%, while an increase was registered in the mining and quarrying industry - by 8.0%.

In December 2024, the production index in the ‘Construction’ section decreased by 3.4% compared to the previous month. A decrease was seen in the production of specialized construction activities - by 6.3%, in the production of civil engineering - by 2.1%, and in the building construction - by 1.7%. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

The calendar-adjusted data showed a rise of 2.2% in the construction production compared to the same month of 2023. Civil engineering went up by 4.8% and specialized construction activities - by 2.7%. The construction of buildings remains at the level of the previous year.