Press releases

In June 2023, the number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 790.3 thousand, or 16.1% above the registered in June 2022.

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 - 43.4%, followed by those with holiday and recreation purpose - 38.9%, and with professional purpose - 17.7%.

The number of visits of non-residents to Bulgaria was 1 392.1 thousand, or 23.0% more in comparison with June 2022. In June 2023, the predominant share of the visits was with holiday and recreation purpose - 50.8%, followed by trips with other purposes - 40.3%, and with professional purpose - 8.9%.

Transit passes through the country were 30.9% (430.2 thousand) of all visits of non-residents to Bulgaria.

The data for the first quarter of 2023 have been published for revenues, expenses and deficit/surplus of the ‘General Government’ sector by sub-sectors: sub-sector ‘Central Government’, sub-sector ‘Local Government’ and sub-sector ‘Social Insurance Funds’, in accordance with Article 3(2) of Directive 2011/85 of the EU. The data are based on cash reports and trial balances on accrual basis of the budgetary units, as well as quarterly data on the public enterprises reclassified in the sector.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Government Finance Statistics'.

In the second quarter of 2023, the newly registered legal entities in the country are 11 025, and those declared bankrupt - 984. Compared to the same quarter of 2022, the total number of newly registered decreased by 2.6%, and that of bankrupts - by 23.8%.

The distribution by economic sectors shows that the relative share of newly registered legal entities is the largest in sector G ‘Trade; car and motorcycle repair’ - 89.4% of all newly registered units in the second quarter of 2023. Among the companies declaring bankrupt, the largest share is in sector G ‘Trade; repair of cars and motorcycles’, which is 75.4% of the total number of bankrupted legal entities.

In June 2023, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was -0.4% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in June 2023 compared to June 2022 was 8.7%.

In June 2023, compared to the previous month, the highest decrease was recorded in the prices for Recreation and culture (-3.1%), Food and non-alcoholic beverages (-1.0%), Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (-0.6%) and Clothing and footwear (-0.6%). The highest increase was registered for Restaurants and hotels (+1.6%), Communications (+1.1%) and Health (+0.9%).

In June 2023, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 0.1% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in June 2023 compared to June 2022 was 7.5%.

In 2022 with effective and conditional sentences were concluded 26 088 crimes and convicted persons were 24 047. The number of convicted males was 21 973, or 91.4%, and females - 2 074 (8.6%). Among both men and women, the highest share of persons convicted was in the 30 - 39 age group - 27.6% for men and 30.5% for women.

Among the crimes with penalty inflicted, with the highest number and share were generally dangerous crimes - 13 428 (51.5%) for which 11 902 persons were convicted (49.5% of the total number of convicted persons). The second place in the structure were the crimes against the property - 4 617 (17.7%) with 5 052 convicted persons (21.0%).

Compared to 2021, there was a significant increase in both the number of crimes against the activity of state bodies, public organisations and persons performing public functions (by 26.1%) and the number of persons convicted for them (by 24.9%). The reason for this was the most common type among these crimes - illegal crossing of the boundary.

In the distribution of crimes with an inflicted penalty by the number of offenders, the highest share was of the crimes committed by one person - 95.9%. Two persons committing one crime in complicity was most common in the crimes against the property (9.8%), and crimes committed by three or more persons - in crimes against the order and public peace (3.3%).

In May 2023, 2 491 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 101.5 thousand rooms and 223.6 thousand bed-places in them. In comparison with May 2022, the accommodation establishments increased by 5.0% and the bed-places in them - by 7.9%.

The total number of nights spent was 1 247.7 thousand, or by 1.2% less in comparison with the same month of the previous year.

The number of arrivals in all accommodation establishments increased by 7.2% compared to the same month of 2022 and reached 527.4 thousand.

The total revenues from nights spent reached 87.7 million BGN, or by 16.0% more compared to May 2022.

In the period January - April 2023, the exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU decreased by 1.2% compared to the same period of 2022 and amounted to 18 960.5 million BGN, while the imports of goods from the EU grew by 6.1% and reached 19 533.0 million BGN.

In April 2023, the exports to the EU decreased by 18.1% compared to the corresponding month of the previous year and amounted to 4 287.2 million BGN, while the imports dropped by 0.1% and amounted to 4 573.1 million BGN.

The most notable growth in the exports of goods to the EU in the period January - April 2023 compared to the same period of 2022 was recorded in the section ‘Miscellaneous manufactured articles’ (26.8%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (57.3%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from the EU was recorded in the section ‘Machinery and transport equipment’ (27.4%), while the most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (55.4%). Data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries increased by 8.7% compared to the period January - May 2022 and amounted to 13 380.9 million BGN, while the imports of goods from third countries dropped by 10.6% and added up to 16 376.1 million BGN.

Тhe most notable growth in the exports of goods to third countries compared to the period January - May 2022 was recorded in the sections ‘Machinery and transport equipment’ (73.1%) and ‘Food and live animals’ (29.5%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (23.9%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from third countries was recorded in the sections ‘Beverages and tobacco’ (30.6%) and ‘Food and live animals’ (25.8%). The most notable fall was reported in the section ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (30.4%). The data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The total value of all exported goods to third countries and the EU amounted to 37 075.7 million BGN in the period January - May 2023, which is 0.2% less than the same period of the previous year, while the total value of all imported goods from third countries and the EU added up to 40 874.8 million BGN and dropped by 2.2%.

Тhe index of production in the ‘Construction’ section increased by 1.0% in May 2023 compared to the previous month. The production of civil engineering rose by 1.2% and the production of building construction - by 0.9%.

Compared to May 2022, no change in construction production was observed. An increase was registered in the building construction - by 1.8%, while a decrease of 2.5% in civil engineering was seen.

In May 2023, the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices increased by 1.5% compared to the previous month. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

A rise of turnover was reported in ‘Retail sale of non-food products (except fuel)’ - by 3.4%, and ‘Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco’ - by 1.1%, while in ‘Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores’ was registered a decrease - by 0.3%.

The calendar-adjusted turnover went up by 1.8% compared to the same month in 2022.

An increase was observed in all major groups: in ‘Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores’ (8.0%), in ‘Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco’ (1.6%) and in ‘Retail sale of non-food products (except fuel)’ (0.4%).