Press releases

In the fourth quarter of 2022, gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.3% and gross value added (GVA) by 2.8% compared to the fourth quarter of 2021 (data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted).

The increase in gross value added is determined by the growth in the following economic activities:

Construction - 27.6%, Professional, scientific and technical activities; administrative and support service activities - 5.6%, Mining and quarrying; manufacturing; electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply; water supply, waste management and remediation activities - 3.5%, Public administration and defence; compulsory social security; education; human health and social work activities - 2.9%, Financial and insurance activities - 2.1%, Arts, entertainment and recreation, repair of household goods and other services - 1.9% and Information and communication - 1.7%.

A decline was registered in:

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; transportation and storage; accommodation and food service activities - 1.6%, Real estate activities - 1.0% and in Agriculture, forestry and fishing by 0.3%.

Regarding the expenditure components of GDP, contributor to the registered positive economic growth is the final consumption, with a growth of 5.8% and gross fixed capital formation - 1.1%.

According to the seasonally adjusted data, in the fourth quarter of 2022, exports of goods and services increased by 9.0% and imports of goods and services - 9.3% compared to the fourth quarter of 2021.

2022 - Annual figures

In 2022, GDP at current prices calculated as a sum of the quarters is 165 384 million BGN. Preliminary data show an increase of GDP for 2022 in real terms by 3.4% compared to 2021.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, the National Statistical Institute continued conducting an additional survey to the Household Budget Survey in order to carry out quarterly monitoring of changes in the living conditions of households as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, by the project  ‘Income and Living Conditions (ILC) - Statistical infrastructure under IESS - SILC 2022, ‘Collection of annual data for 2021 and 2022’ module’ under Grant Agreement with the European Commission № 101052273 - 2021-BG-ILC-SILC. For the study, 5 703 persons aged 16 and over from 3 056 households were surveyed.

The results of the additional survey can be viewed in the press releases under the heading ‘Income, expenditure and consumption of households’.

In December 2022, compared to November 2022, an increase is reported for the production of: solid fuels - by 5.8%, and electricity - by 4.5%. A decrease is reported for the production of: liquefied petroleum gases - by 25.0%, transport diesel - by 20.4%, and unleaded motor gasoline - by 3.1%. No change for the production of natural gas.

In December 2022, compared to the same month of the previous year, during which planned repairs of production installations were carried out, the production of liquefied petroleum gases and unleaded motor gasoline increased significantly, as well as transport diesel - by 43.0%, and solid fuels - by 1.3%. A decrease is reported for the production of: natural gas - by 50.0%, and electricity - by 12.6%.

In December 2022, compared to November 2022, an increase is reported for the deliveries in all energy products as follows: liquefied petroleum gases - by 34.1%, natural gas - by 26.1%, electricity - by 17.1%, transport diesel - by 16.1%, unleaded motor gasoline - by 15.8%, and solid fuels - by 4.7%.

In December 2022, compared to the same month of the previous year, an increase is reported for the deliveries of: unleaded motor gasoline - by 69.2%, liquefied petroleum gases - by 44.7%, and transport diesel - by 13.9%. A decrease is reported for the deliveries of: natural gas - by 23.9%, electricity - by 3.5%, and solid fuels - by 2.6%.

The Total Producer Price Index in Industry decreased by 2.2% in January 2023 compared to the previous month. Lower prices were registered in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 8.3%. The prices went up in the mining and quarrying industry by 3.2% and in the manufacturing by 1.1%.

The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market decreased by 4.2% in January 2023 compared to the previous month. The domestic prices went down in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 9.7%. The prices increased in the mining and quarrying industry by 3.6% and in the manufacturing by 1.2%.

The Total Producer Price Index rose by 16.8% in January 2023 compared to the same month of 2022. Significant growth was seen in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 21.7%, in the manufacturing by 14.4% and in the mining and quarrying industry by 10.7%.

The Producer Price Index on the Domestic Market went up by 19.1% compared to January 2022. Prices rose in manufacturing by 19.5%, in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 18.9% and in the mining and quarrying industry by 13.4%.

In February 2023, the total business climate indicator increases by 1.4 percentage points compared to the previous month. An improvement of the indicator is observed in industry, construction and service sector, and in retail trade preserves its level from January.

The uncertain economic environment remains the main difficulty for the activity of the enterprises in all sectors.

In January 2023, the number of the trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 504.0 thousand or 7.2% above the registered in January 2022.

The trips with other purposes (as a guest, education and visiting cultural and sports events) in January 2023 composed the greatest share of the total number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad - 48.1%, followed by those with holiday and recreation purposes - 27.3%, and with professional purpose - 24.6%.

In January 2023, the number of visits of non-residents to Bulgaria was 711.8 thousand or 60.0% more in comparison with January 2022. An increase in the trips with all observed purposes was registered. Transit passes through the country were 35.4% (252.3 thousand) of all visits of non-residents to Bulgaria.

The goods carried and the transport performance by the freight land and water transport increased by 6.7% and 21.1% during the fourth quarter of 2022 in comparison with the same quarter of 2021. The data are preliminary.

By 27.0% rose the number of transported passengers by the passenger transport (land, water and urban electrical transport) in the fourth quarter of 2022. The transport performance also increased by 40.2%.

Freight land transport

The transported goods by the land transport were by 6.4% more and the transport performance rose by 22.4% than the fourth quarter of 2021.

Freight water transport

The transported goods by the water transport increased by 16.8%. The transport performance, measured in tonne-kilometres, decreased by 29.8%.

Passengers land transport

The number of the transported passengers was by 16.4% more and the transport performance rose by 40.3% compared to the same quarter of 2021.

Passengers water transport

In the fourth quarter of 2022, there was an increase of the transported passengers from the water transport by 17.8 thousand passengers as well in the transport performance by 535.5 thousand pkm.

Urban electrical transport

During the period October - December of 2022 the enterprises performing urban electrical transport transported by 43.9% more passengers. The transport performance increased by 39.4%.

The total turnover index in the section ‘Transportation, storage and post’ decrease by 1.3% for the forth quarter of 2022 compared to the previous quarter. In the section ‘Information and communication’ the turnover index increased by 3.8%. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

During the forth quarter of 2022, the total turnover index in the section ‘Transportation, storage and post’ increased by 26.3% compared to the same quarter of 2021. The total turnover index in the section ‘Information and communication’ rose by 18.4%. The data are preliminary and calendar adjusted.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, 1 025.7 thousand Bulgarian residents^[1] made tourist trips^[2]. The majority of them - 80.8% travelled only in the country, 16.0% - only abroad and 3.2% - both in the country and abroad. Compared to the same quarter of 2021, the total number of travelled persons aged 15 and over increased by 28.1%.

According to the results of the survey, in the fourth quarter of 2022:

- The activity rate of the population aged 15 - 64 was 74.4%, increasing by 2.6 percentage points in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2021.

- The employment rate of the population aged 15 - 64 increased by 3.0 percentage points in comparison with the same quarter of 2021 and reached 71.5%.

- The unemployment rate was 3.9%, or 0.6 percentage points lower in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2021.

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