Press releases

Тhe exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU increased by 44.6% compared to the same period of 2021 and amounted to 41 678.4 million BGN, while the imports of goods from the EU grew by 33.3% and reached 38 688.2 million BGN.

The most notable growth in the exports of goods to the EU compared to the same period of 2021 was recorded in sections ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (295.2%) and ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (168.6%). A fall was reported in the section ‘Beverages and tobacco’ (13.9%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from the EU was recorded in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (152.8%). Data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The exports to the EU increased by 45.9% in August 2022 compared to the corresponding month of the previous year and amounted to 5 159.6 million BGN, while the imports grew by 36.4% and added up to 4 740.2 million BGN.

The exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries increased by 32.7% compared to the same period of 2021 and amounted to 22 812.5 million BGN, while the imports of goods from third countries grew by 66.0% and added up to 36 109.4 million BGN.

Тhe most notable growth in the exports of goods to third countries compared to the same period of 2021 was recorded in the sections ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (194.3%) and ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (116.0%). A fall was reported in the section ‘Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’[1] (10.5%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from third countries was recorded in the sections ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (427.5%) and ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (135.6%). The data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The total value of all exported goods to third countries and the EU amounted to 70 021.7 million BGN in the period January - September 2022, which is 40.1% more 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 79 896.6 million BGN and grew by 45.4%.

In September 2022, 3 124 accommodation establishments - hotels, motels, camping sites, mountain chalets and other establishments for short-term accommodation with more than 10 bed-places, functioned in the country with 134.2 thousand rooms and 303.2 thousand bed-places in them. In comparison with September 2021, the total number of accommodation establishments (functioned during the period) increased by 19.6% and the bed-places in them - by 18.6%.

The total number of nights spent in all accommodation establishments in September 2022 was 2 522.5 thousand, or by 24.6% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year.

In September 2022, the number of arrivals in all accommodation establishments increased by 26.0% compared to the same month of 2021, and reached 781.0 thousand.

The total revenues from nights spent in September 2022 increased by 39.3% compared to September 2021 and reached 165.8 million BGN, as 103.0 million BGN were from non-residents and 62.8 million BGN - from Bulgarian residents.

Тhe index of production in section ‘Construction’ decreased by 0.2% in September 2022 compared to the previous month. A decrease was observed in the production of building construction - by 0.5%, while the production of civil engineering rose by 0.2%.

As compared to September 2021, the index of production in construction decreased by 1.3%. A decrease was registered both in building construction by 1.7% and in civil engineering - by 0.8%.

In September 2022, the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices increased by 0.3% compared to the previous month. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

An increase in turnover was reported in ‘Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores’ by 0.8%, in ‘Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco’ by 0.5% and in ‘Retail sale of non-food products (except fuel)’ by 0.3%.

The calendar adjusted turnover increased by 2.1% in September 2022 as compared to the same month of 2021.

An increase was seen in ‘Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores’ by 8.8% and in ‘Retail sale of non-food products (except fuel)’ by 3.3%, while in ‘Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco’ a decrease of 2.8% was registered.

The Industrial Production Index decreased by 1.7% in September 2022 compared to August 2022. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

Compared to the previous month, a decrease was reported in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 10.4%, while an increase was seen in the mining and quarrying industry - by 2.8% and in the manufacturing - by 1.4%.

In September 2022, the calendar adjusted Industrial Production Index rose by 11.0% in comparison with the same month of 2021.

A growth compared to September 2021 was registered in the manufacturing - by 13.8% and in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply - by 4.6%, while a decline was observed in the mining and quarrying industry - by 2.4%.

According to preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute in the third quarter of 2022, the number of newly built residential buildings was 1 316, and the newly built dwellings in them were 5 812. Compared to the third quarter of 2021, the buildings were by 458 more (or by 53.4%), and the newly built dwellings in them increased by 2 008, or by 52.8%.

In the third quarter of 2022, 78.7% of the newly built residential buildings had steel-concrete construction, 18.7% had solid structure, 2.1% had ‘other’ and 0.5% had a panel. The highest is the relative share of houses (79.0%), followed by blocks of flats (15.4%). As compared to the third quarter of 2021, the number of newly built houses and blocks of flats rose, while the number of mixed buildings and country houses dropped.

The highest is the number of residential buildings built in the district of Plovdiv - 196 residential buildings with 581 dwellings, followed by Sofia (stolitsa) - 170 residential buildings with 1 493 dwellings, and Burgas - 141 buildings with 553 dwellings in them.

The highest is the number of newly built dwellings with two rooms (37.9%), followed by the number of those with three rooms (33.6%), and the lowest is the number of dwellings with six and more rooms (3.8%).

In the third quarter of 2022, the total useful space of newly built dwellings was 548.9 thousand sq. m, or 48.4% more, compared to the same quarter of 2021, and the living floor space increased (by 52.7%) to 436.8 thousand sq. m.

The average useful floor space of a newly built dwelling decreased from 97.2 sq. m in the third quarter of 2021 to 94.4 sq. m in the same quarter of 2022.

The biggest average useful floor space of a newly built dwelling was recorded in the districts of Silistra - 218.7 sq. m and Smolyan - 172.3 sq. m, and the smallest ones in Razgrad - 66.9 sq. m and Targovishte - 70.0 sq. meters.

In the third quarter of 2022, the municipal authorities issued building permits for the construction of 2 159 residential buildings with 14 708 dwellings, 14 administrative buildings/offices and 1 213 other buildings.

As compared to the third quarter of 2021, the issued building permits for new residential buildings increased by 17.0%, for administrative buildings - by 55.6%, and for other buildings - by 2.5%.

The construction of 1 559 residential buildings with 8 823 dwellings, 11 administrative buildings/offices and 669 other buildings was started.

The number of started new residential buildings and other buildings increased by 14.9% and 16.3%, respectively as compared to the third quarter of 2021. The number of started administrative buildings registered a drop of 21.4%.

In October 2022, the total consumer confidence indicator decreases by 0.6 percentage points in comparison with July, which is due entirely to the decreased confidence among the urban population.

In October 2022 the activities of the project ‘European system of integrated social protection statistics (ESSPROS) - Unemployment benefits recipients’ of the National Statistical Institute under a grant agreement with the European Commission 101055564 - 2021-BG-ESSPROS were successfully completed. The main objective of the project was to build capacity for the preparation of statistical data on the recipients of unemployment benefits in Bulgaria within the framework of the European System for Integrated Social Protection Statistics (ESSPROS) according to a methodology proposed by Eurostat for the voluntary collection of such data.

In cooperation with experts from the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) and the Employment Agency, the available data on the number of recipients of periodic cash unemployment benefits from the register of unemployment benefits recipients and the register of persons registered in the labour offices of the Employment Agency was processed. Periodic unemployment benefits in Bulgaria that fall within the scope of the data collected under the project include unemployment benefits under Article 54a, paragraph 1 of the Social Security Code and under Articles 230 and 231 of the Law on Defense and the Armed Forces of Republic of Bulgaria as well as scholarships, transport and accommodation expenses paid to unemployed persons participating in training for literacy, acquisition of professional qualifications or key competences (for the duration of the training). In accordance with the requirement to eliminate the double counting of the recipients of benefits/assistance falling under the unemployment function, the vertical aggregation of the data on the recipients of unemployment benefits administered by NSSI and the data on the recipients of ‘vocational qualification supplement’ administered by the Employment Agency for the same reference period was carried out by NSSI. The questionnaire for the qualitative information on the module has been completed.

As a result of the carried out activities data for 2019 and 2020 on the total number of recipients of at least one of the above-mentioned benefits during the reference year was obtained on the one hand and data on the average monthly number of benefits received during the reference year in total, by gender and by age group on the other hand. In 2019 and 2020, a total of 216 781 and 301 660 persons respectively received at least one periodic cash unemployment benefit and the average monthly number of such benefits received was 71 380 and 109 859 respectively.