Press releases

The National Statistical Institute (NSI) publishes data about the number of employees under labour contract in non-financial enterprises for the second quarter of 2024 with additional disaggregations by economic activities in accordance with the requirements of Сommission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 related with short-term business statistics on employment. At the end of the second quarter of 2024, the number of employees under labour contract in non-financial enterprises in Industry (incl. Mining and quarrying, Manufacturing, Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, Water collection, treatment and supply) was 512.8 thousand, decreasing with 2.6% compared to the second quarter of 2023. The number of employees in Services of the business economy (except trade and financial and insurance activities) was 572.9 thousand, increasing with 1.4% compared with the same period of the previous year.

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

In August 2024, the total business climate indicator increases by 0.5 percentage points in comparison with July. A growth of the indicator is observed only in the industry, while in the construction, retail trade and service sector a reduction is registered.

The main problems for the activity of the enterprises in the sectors remain connected with the uncertain economic environment, shortage of labour, competition in the branch, insufficient demand and costs of materials.

In June 2024, compared to May 2024, an increase is reported in the production of: solid fuels - by 27.9%, liquefied petroleum gases - by 9.1%, and transport diesel - by 0.3%. A decrease is reported in the production of: electricity - by 3.9%, and motor gasoline - by 2.1%. There is no change in the production of natural gas.

Compared to June 2023, an increase is reported in the production of: liquefied petroleum gases - by 50.0%, transport diesel - by 11.6%, and motor gasoline - by 6.7%. A decrease is reported in the production of: solid fuels - by 30.0%, and electricity - by 16.9%. There is no change in the production of natural gas.

In June 2024, compared to May 2024, an increase is reported in the deliveries of: solid fuels - by 22.2%, motor gasoline - by 18.4%, liquefied petroleum gases - by 8.3%, and electricity - by 2.7%. A decrease is reported in the deliveries of: natural gas - by 10.3%, and transport diesel - by 6.4%.

Compared to June 2023, an increase is reported in the deliveries of: motor gasoline - by 28.9%, natural gas - by 26.2%, liquefied petroleum gases - by 14.7%, and electricity - by 8.4%. A decrease is reported in the deliveries of: solid fuels - by 24.3%, and transport diesel - by 10.1%.

In July 2024, the number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 861.8 thousand, or 5.0% above the registered in July 2023. An increase was registered in the trips with holiday and recreation purposes - by 11.1%, and with other purposes (as a guest, education, and visiting cultural and sports events) - by 0.6%, while those with professional purposes decreased - by 1.0%.

The number of visits of non-residents to Bulgaria was 1 898.4 thousand, or 3.4% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year. An increase was registered in the trips with holiday and recreation purposes - by 8.6%, and with professional purposes - by 1.0%, while those with other purposes decreased by 2.3%.

Transit passes through the country were 35.7% (676.8 thousand) of all visits of non-residents to Bulgaria.

In the second quarter of 2024, 1.2 million Bulgarian residents made tourist trips. The majority of them - 71.3%, travelled only in the country, 22.6% - only abroad, and 6.1% - both in the country and abroad. Compared to the same quarter of 2023, the total number of travelled persons aged 15 and over increased by 3.1%.

In the second quarter of 2024 there was a 1.2% rise in the goods carried by freight transport in comparison with the previous quarter, while the transport performance remained unchanged.

Both the passengers carried by passenger transport (land, water and urban electrical transport) and the transport performance decreased by 1.7% and 5.8%, respectively. The data are preliminary and seasonally adjusted.

In the second quarter of 2024, compared to the same period of the previous year:

• The goods carried by land transported were 3.1% less, while the transport performance increased by 1.1%;
• The inland waterway and maritime transport carried 35.5 thousand tonnes more goods, whereas the performance, measures in tonne-kilometers, marked a 32.8% rise;
• The number of passengers carried by land transport rose by 0.7% as did the performance - by 8.4%;
• The water passenger transport marked a decline of 3.3 thousand passengers and the performance fell to 12 210 thousand passenger-kilometers;
• The urban electric transport enterprises carried 17.6 thousand passengers more and the performance also increased by 37.0%;

In the second quarter of 2024, the expenditure on acquisition of tangible fixed assets in all sectors of the economy amounted to 6 997 million BGN, which is 25.2% more as compared to the previous quarter. The data are preliminary.

Detailed data are published on the NSI website under the heading “Investments”.

At the end of June 2024 the number of employees under labour contract and contract according to the Civil Servants Act reached 98.9 thousands. The employees in Central administration were 56.4 thousands (57.0%) and in Territorial administration - 42.5 thousands (43.0%).

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

The producer price index in Forestry decreased by 9.0% in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year (on an annual basis).

The change is a result of the decrease in both the prices of wood in the rough from coniferous - by 8.3%, and non-coniferous trees - by 9.5%.

A decrease - by 11.7%, is observed as well in the prices of wood in the rough in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same quarter of 2023.

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

In July 2024, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was 0.8% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in July 2024 compared to July 2023 was 2.4%.

In July 2024, compared to the previous month, the highest increase was registered in the following groups: ‘Recreation and culture’ (+8.7%), ‘Restaurants and hotels’ (+3.9%), ‘Transport’ (+0.9%), ‘Health’ (+0.4%) and ‘Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels’ (+0.4%). Decrease in the prices was recorded in the groups: ‘Clothing and footwear’ (-3.0%) and ‘Communications’ (-0.6%).

The monthly inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 1.2% and the annual inflation rate was 2.8%.