According to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute, in the first quarter of 2009 the newly built residential buildings were 547 and marked a decrease of 10.6% compared to the first quarter of 2008. The number of the new dwellings in them decreased by 12.9% compared to the first quarter of 2008 and reached 3 897.
Producer Price Index on Domestic Market in April 2009 fell by 0.8 per cent compared to the previous month and by 2.3 per cent compared to the same month of 2008. Total Producer Price Index in industry in April 2009 decreased by 0.6 per cent compared with the previous month; as compared with April 2008, it fell by 6.1 per cent.
By preliminarily data, 1 168 thousand Bulgarian residents travelled to the country and abroad in the first quarter of 2009. The total number of the persons travelled with tourist purpose increased by 18.6% in comparison with the same period of 2008.
According to preliminary data, in the first quarter of 2009 a significant decrease trend is observed in freight carriages of the transport as a whole. The goods carried are by 34.3% less in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2008. The transport performance (measured in tkm) lessens respectively by 58.4% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2008 and by 44.0% as compared to the first quarter of 2008.
Total number of the railway serious injury accidents in 2008 increased from 55 to 64 as compared to 2007, while the accidents to persons caused by rolling stock in motion - by 23.8%.
After the serious drop of the total business climate indicator since October 2008 and reaching its lowest level in February 2009 of 9.7%, over the last three months (including May) the indicator seems to be moving away from the lowest point, fluctuating around 12.5 - 12.6%.
In April 2009 the trips of Bulgarian residents abroad were 482 929 and increased by 5.9% in comparison with April 2008.
Arrivals of visitors from abroad to Bulgaria in April 2009 were 485 817 and decreased by 5.4% in comparison with the same month of 2008.
In the first quarter of 2009 municipal authorities have issued building permits for construction of 1 470 residential buildings with 6 530 dwellings, of 79 administrative buildings/offices and 978 other buildings.
The economically active population aged 15 - 64 had a relative share of 66.9% of the total population of the same age group. Disaggregated by gender, the activity rate for males was 71.8%, and for females - 62.2%. The activity rate of the population remained almost at the same level as for the first quarter of 2008, registering a minimum increase for males and decrease for females.
In April 2009 the goods carried by the railway transport dropped by 13.4% in comparison with the previous month and reached to 1 052.9 thousand tones, while the passengers carried increased by 7.0% to 2 721.8 thousands.