Statistical data

According to the seasonally adjusted data, the GDP growth rate in the first quarter of 2011 is 0.4%, compared with the fourth quarter of 2010 and 2.5%, compared with the same quarter of the previous year.

The consumer price index (CPI) in April 2011 compared to March 2011 was 100.2%, i.e. the monthly inflation was 0.2%. The group ‘Food and non-alcoholic beverages’ had the largest upward impact on the total CPI that measures the change in prices of the goods and services, used by Bulgarian households for private (non-production) consumption.
The harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) in April 2011 compared to March 2011 was 99.9%, i.e. the monthly inflation was -0.1%. The group ‘Transport’ had the biggest downward impact on the total HICP that measures the change in prices of the goods and services, consumed by all households (including foreign households) on the economic territory of the country. Differences between CPI and HICP are due to different coverage of the HICP and CPI in respect of treatment of the consumption by both non-resident and institutional households.

According to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) at the end of March 2011 the number of employees under labour contract decreased by 0.1% as compared to the end of December 2010 and reached to 2.15 millions. In first quarter of 2011 in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2010 the average monthly wages and salaries increased by 0.3% getting 671 levs.

In April 2011 the total consumer confidence indicator decreases by 3.1 percentage points in comparison with January 2011, which is mostly due to a decrease of confidence among the rural inhabitants by 8.5 percentage points. The value of the indicator for the urban inhabitants decreases by 0.5 percentage points.

According to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute, in the first quarter of 2011 the newly built residential buildings were 601 and compared to the respectively quarter of 2010 increased by 16.7%. The newly built dwellings in them decreased by 5.3% and their number was 3 109.

In the period January - March 2011 the Bulgarian exports to third countries increased by 55. 9% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and amounted to 3.7 billion levs while the imports increased by 40.1% and reached to 4.1 billion levs.
In the period January - March 2011 the total value of the exported goods (both for third countries and EU) reached to 9.3 billion levs and compared to the corresponding period of 2010 the exports increased by 55.6% while the total value of the imported goods was for 9.8 billion levs and increased by 29.9%.

Within the period October 2009 – October 2010, the National Statistical Institute conducted the fifth whole-year Time Use Survey.

According to the preliminary data of the NSI, in March 2011 the index of production in section ‘Construction’, calculated on the base of seasonally adjusted data, was 3.1% below the level recorded the previous month.

The preliminary data showed that the Industrial Production Index, seasonally adjusted increased by 0.1% in March 2011 as compared to February 2011. The working day adjusted Industrial Production Index rose by 5.1% as compared to the same month of 2010.

In the period January - February 2011 the Bulgarian exports to the EU increased by 55.0% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and exceeded 3.6 billion levs while the imports increased by 28.4% and also exceeded 3.6 billion levs.
In February 2011 the exports to the EU increased by 41% compared to the corresponding month of the previous year and exceeded 1.7 billion levs while the imports increased by 20.8% and reached to 1.9 billion levs.