Press releases

In the third quarter of 2024, compared to the third quarter of 2023, the total hourly labour cost rose by 12.8% (according to preliminary data). The total hourly labour cost increased by 11.4% in industry, by 14.3% in services and by 12.9% in construction.

The highest annual growth in total labour costs was recorded in the ‘Real estate activities’ - by 24.5%, ‘Other service activities’ - by 23.3%, and ‘Accommodation and food service activities’ - by 18.1%.

According to the first estimate of the Economic Accounts for Agriculture, the final output of the ‘Agricultural industry' at basic prices in 2024 amounted to 9 440.6 million BGN. The gross value added at basic prices decreased by 9.9% on an annual basis and reached 3 798.9 million BGN, and the net entrepreneurial income is 889.1 million BGN.

Tourist consumption in Bulgaria in 2022 was estimated at 9 675.30 million BGN. Inbound tourism expenditures from foreign citizens visiting the country were 83.0% (8 032.00 million BGN), while the domestic tourism expenditures by Bulgarian citizens travelling within the country amounted to 17.0% (1 643.30 million BGN). Accommodation services represented the largest component both in inbound and domestic tourism.

Outbound tourism expenditures by Bulgarian citizens travelling abroad in 2022 were 3 335.70 million BGN. The largest relative shares were attributed to food and beverage serving services - 40.5%, and transportation services - 30.4%.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Tourism' and in the ‘INFOSTAT’ information system.

In 2022, the total value of investments and current Environmental protection and restoration expenditures is 3 030 million BGN, which is 14.6% more than the previous year. Compared to 2021, there is an increase in the level of investments (3.8%) and the level of current expenditures increased (18.6%). The value of the investments made in 2022 is 731 million BGN. Current expenditures in 2022 account for 75.9% of total environmental expenditures (2 298 million BGN).

Environmental protection and restoration expenditures include the expenditures of acquiring tangible and intangible assets (investments) and the expenditures of maintaining/operating them, including environmental measures (running expenditures). The largest share of the total expenditures is spent on waste recovery and disposal (59%), air protection (16%) and wastewater treatment (15%).

The Environmental protection and restoration expenditures are part of the total expenditure of tangible and intangible fixed assets. In 2022, the share of expenditure available at the end of the year for acquisition of tangible and intangible fixed assets with ecological use amounts to 2.6% of the total expenditure for acquisition of tangible and intangible fixed assets in the country.

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

In 2023, the production of high-efficiency electricity from CHP units in the country decreased by 1.4% to 3 239 gigawatt hours compared to the previous year 2022. Steam condensing turbines have the largest share in the combined production of high-efficiency electricity, which in 2023 is 39.9% or 1 292 gigawatt hours.

CHP units are thermal installations in which the energy released from the fuel is transmitted to an intermediate fluid. This intermediate fluid is normally directed in its entirety to electrical generator sets, designed and equipped in such a way that energy is partly used for driving the generator sets to produce electrical energy and partly to supply heat for various purposes: industrial uses, district heating, etc. The unit is considered as CHP, if there is simultaneous production of useful heat and mechanical energy.

The data are representative at the national level. They are compared with the Decisions of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) on the issuance of certificates of origin for electricity produced from combined production of electricity and heat. The data in the whole time series have been calculated by one methodology and are fully comparable.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Energy', Combined heat and power units (CHP units).

The net heat production from district heating systems in the country decreased by 7.1% to 25 699 terajoules in 2023 compared to the previous year

CHP units using non-renewable fuels had the largest share of net heat production from district heating systems - 75.8%, or 19 476 terajoules in 2023.

In 2023, the district heading losses increased by 3.5% to 6 880 terajoules compared to 2022.

District heating and cooling systems are systems that supply heat in the form of steam, hot water or chilled liquid through a network from a central production source to multiple buildings or industrial sites to heat or cool premises or processes. Currently, there are no district cooling systems in the country, data are published only for district heating systems.

Detailed data can be found on the NSI website under the heading 'Energy', District heating and cooling systems.

At the end of the third quarter of 2024, the number of job vacancies, according to the National Statistical Institute (NSI), data was 17.6 thousand, decreasing by 4.6% compared to the third quarter of 2023. The job vacancy rate (the proportion of number of job vacancies to the total sum of number of occupied posts and number of vacancies) was 0.8%.

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

At the end of each year, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) of Bulgaria publishes a comprehensive set of main indicators that represent the demographic, social, and economic development of different regions in the country. The indicators cover various topics, including demographic statistics, labour market, health care, education, investment, non-financial enterprises, transport, research and development (R&D), information society, housing stock, and tourism.

The data is available for the period from 2019 to 2023 on the NSI website under the heading 'Regional Statistics'. For the previous years data can be downloaded from the INFOSTAT information system.

Household material welfare varies widely in the EU

 In 2023, the levels of actual individual consumption across EU countries varied between 70% and 136% of the EU-27_2020 average.

For Bulgaria, the per capita volume indices in PPS in 2023 increase compared to 2022 - for AIC from 69 to 70% and for GDP from 62 to 64%, compared to the EU-27_2020 average.

At the end of the third quarter of 2024, the number of employees under labour contract (according to the requirements of the Сommission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 on short-term business statistics on employment) in non-financial enterprises was 1.06 million by 0.2% higher than at the end of the third quarter of 2023.

In Industry (incl. Mining and quarrying, Manufacturing, Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, Water collection, treatment and supply) the number of employees was 506.8 thousand, decreasing with 2.6% compared to the third quarter of 2023.

The number of employees in the Services of the business economy (except trade and financial and insurance activities) was 556.8 thousand, increasing with 2.8% compared with the same period of the previous year.

The National Statistical Institute (NSI) publishes data about the number of employees under labour contract in the non-financial enterprises in accordance with the requirements of the Сommission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 with additional disaggregations by economic activities.

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