Press releases

The goods carried and the transport performance by the freight land and water transport increased by 7.2% and 4.6% during the third quarter of 2022 in comparison with the same quarter of 2021. The data are preliminary.

By 11.9% rose the number of transported passengers by the passenger transport (land, water and urban electrical transport) in the third quarter of 2022. The transport performance also increased by 43.2%.

Freight land transport

The transported goods by the land transport were by 8.8% more and the transport performance rose by 6.4% than the same quarter of 2021.

Freight water transport

Both the transported goods and the transport performance by the water transport decreased by 41.8% and 48.3%.

Passengers land transport

The number of the transported passengers was by 9.7% more and the transport performance rose by 47.2% compared to the third quarter of 2021.

Passengers water transport

In the third quarter of 2022, there was an increase of the transported passengers from the water transport by 15.4 thousand passengers as well in the transport performance by 907.2 thousand pkm.

Urban electrical transport

During the period July - September of 2022 the enterprises performing urban electrical transport transported by 15.6% more passengers. The transport performance increased by 15.2%.

The total turnover index in the section ‘Transportation, storage and post’ rose by 7.5% for the third quarter of 2022 compared to the previous quarter. In the section ‘Information and communication’ the turnover index increased by 1.7%. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

During the third quarter of 2022, the total turnover index in the section ‘Transportation, storage and post’ increased by 42.5% compared to the same quarter of 2021. The total turnover index in the section ‘Information and communication’ rose by 14.0%. The data are preliminary and calendar adjusted.

In the third quarter of 2022, 1 748.8 thousand Bulgarian residents made tourist trips. The majority - 78.5% of them travelled only within the country, 16.3% - only abroad and 5.2% - both within the country and abroad. Compared to the same quarter of 2021, the total number of the travelled persons aged 15 and over increased by 31.7%.

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

- The activity rate of the population aged 15 - 64 was 74.7%, increasing by 1.8 percentage points in comparison with the third quarter of 2021.

- The employment rate of the population aged 15 - 64 increased by 2.4 percentage points in comparison with the same quarter of 2021 and reached 71.9%.

- The unemployment rate was 3.7%, or 0.9 percentage points lower in comparison with the third 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.

The total income average per household member during the third quarter of 2022 is 2 346 BGN and increases by 21.1% compared to the same quarter of 2021.

The total expenditure average per household member during the third quarter of 2022 is 2 239 BGN and increases by 23.8% compared to the same quarter of 2021.

The consumption of most basic food products average per household member during the third quarter of 2022 decreased compared to the same quarter of 2021. The biggest decrease is in the consumption of bread and paste products - from 19.0 kg to 18.6 kg and fruit - from 20.1 kg to 19.1 kg.

As of September 7, 2021, there were 2 953 937 economically active persons aged 15 and over, or 45.3% of the country's population. 2 661 292 of them were employed, while 292 645 were unemployed. Compared to 2011, the number of economically active persons decreased by 376 thousand, or by 11.3%.

The educational structure of the population aged 7 and over is improving, with 1 560.0 thousand tertiary graduates by September 7, 2021, or one in four (25.5%) being a tertiary graduate. The number of persons with primary education and no education is 666.7 thousand, with their relative share decreasing by 2.8 percentage points compared to the previous census.

The producer price index in agriculture for the third quarter of 2022 increased by 45.5% compared to the same quarter of 2021, as a result of an increase in the price index of crop output by 47.7% and livestock output by 28.6%.

Compared to the previous year, the prices of agricultural output increased by 39.0%. In crop output, they increased by 40.4%, and in livestock output, they increased by 28.4%.

In crop output, in the third quarter of 2022, compared to the same quarter of 2021, the highest growth was recorded in the prices of cereals - by 63.0% and industrial crops - by 22.5%.

The trend also retained itself in comparison to 2021, with an increase in cereal prices of 54.0% and in industrial crops of 18.3%.

In animal output, in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same quarter of 2021, the prices of live animals increased by 30.3%, and those of animal products output - by 27.4%. Compared to 2021, the increase was respectively 30.4% and 26.9%.

The price index of products and services currently consumed in agriculture for the third quarter of 2022 was higher by 38.4% compared to the same quarter of the previous year and by 39.9% compared to 2021.

The biggest increase compared to the third quarter of 2021 was recorded in the prices of: mineral fertilizers - by 122.0%, feedingstuffs - by 36.0% and electricity and fuels - by 32.1%.

Compared to the previous year, the prices of the three inputs also remained the highest, with the increase for mineral fertilizers being 119.0%, feedinfstuffs - 35.5% and electricity and fuels - 36.3%.

According to the seasonally adjusted data, GDP has a growth of 3.2% in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the third quarter of the previous year.

In October 2022, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was 0.9% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in October 2022 compared to October 2021 was 17.6%.

In October 2022, compared to the previous month, the highest price increase was registered for Clothing and footwear (+7.0%), Recreation and culture (+2.7%), Food and non-alcoholic beverages (+2.3%). The decrease was recorded in the prices for Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (-2.1%), Transport (-1.4%) and Communications (-0.1%).

In October 2022, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 0.6% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in October 2022 compared to October 2021 was 14.8%.

According to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute, at the end of September 2022, the number of employees under labour contract decreased by 1.4% as compared to the end of June 2022 and reached 2.28 million.

In the third quarter of 2022, in comparison with the second quarter of 2022, the average monthly wages and salaries increased by 0.8% and reached 1 743 BGN.