Press releases

The ‘Europe 2020’ strategy, adopted in June 2010 by the Council of Europe, is a multi-faceted strategy for sustainable growth and jobs for the coming decades, the aim of which is to help Europe emerge stronger from the world's worst economic crisis since the 30s of the 20th century.

The Europe ‘2020’ strategy puts forward three mutually reinforcing priorities:

- Smart growth: developing an economy based on knowledge and innovation;

- Sustainable growth: promoting a more resource efficient, greener and more competitive economy;

- Inclusive growth: fostering a high-employment economy delivering social and territorial cohesion.

In the third quarter of 2022, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.3% compared to the third quarter of 2021.

In October 2022, the total consumer confidence indicator decreases by 0.6 percentage points in comparison with July.

During the third quarter of 2022, 68.2% of GDP was spent on individual consumption.

The relative share of gross fixed capital formation in GDP in the third quarter of 2022 is 14.2%.

The employment rate for the population aged 15 years and over was 55.4%.

The unemployment rate decreased by 0.9 percentage points and stood at 3.7%.

By 16.2% rose the total hourly labour cost for the third quarter of 2022.

In the third quarter of 2022, the house price index increased by 15.6%.

As of September 7, 2021, the Bulgarian ethnic group comprised 5 118 494, or 84.6% of the persons who answered the question about ethnicity. Compared to 2011, the share of this group decreased by 0.2 percentage points. 508 378, or 8.4% of the respondents, identified themselves as belonging to the Turkish ethnic group. Their relative share decreased by 0.4 percentage points compared to 2011. 266 720, or 4.4% of the respondents, identified themselves as the third-largest Roma ethnic group. The relative share of the population from this ethnic group decreased by 0.5 percentage points compared to 2011. 79 006 people, or 1.3%, identified themselves as belonging to other ethnic groups.

15 746 (0.3%) persons indicated that they could not self-determine. 63 767, or 1.0% of respondents, answered ‘I do not want to answer’.

Bulgarian is the mother tongue of 5 037 607 people, or 85.3% of the population, Turkish - for 514 386 people, or 8.7%, and Romani - for 227 974 people, or 3.9% of those who answered the question. Another mother tongue was indicated by 62 906 people, or 1.1%. The persons who indicated that they could not determine their mother tongue were 10 633 (0.2%). 49 602, or 0.8% of respondents, answered, ‘I do not want to answer’.

4 219 270, or 71.5% of those who answered the question, self-identified as Christians. Eastern Orthodox Christians predominate among them - 4 091 780, or 97.0% of those who indicated a Christian religious denomination, followed by persons with a Protestant religious denomination - 69 852 (1.7%), Catholic - 38 709 (0.9%) and 5 002 (0.1%) indicated the Armenian apostolic creed. The answer ‘other Christian’ was chosen by 13 927, or 0.3% of those who answered the question. 638 708 persons, or 10.8%, indicated Muslim religious denomination, 1 736 Jews, and 6 451 persons professed other religions. As of September 7, 2021, 305 102 (5.2%) individuals responded that they did not have a religion, 259 235 (4.4%) had difficulty identifying their religion, and 472 606 (8.0%) indicated that they did not want to answer.

By 16.2% rose the total hourly labour cost for the third quarter of 2022 compared to the third quarter of 2021 (preliminary data of the NSI). The total hourly labour cost increased by 18.1% in industry, 16.4% in services and 16.0% in construction.

The breakdown by economic activities showed that the highest annual growth in total labour costs was recorded in ‘Accommodation and food service activities’ - by 23.4%, ‘Mining and quarrying’ - by 19.4% and ‘Public administration and defence; compulsory social security’ - by 19.2%.

According to the first estimate of Economic Accounts for Agriculture, the final output of the agricultural 'industry' at basic prices in 2022 amounted to 12 903.2 million BGN. Gross value added at basic prices increased by 9.9% on an annual basis and reached 5 677.1 million BGN, and net entrepreneurial income amounted to 3 633.6 million BGN.

During the period October 11, 2021 - October 31, 2021, the National Statistical Institute conducted two post-enumeration sample surveys to check the accuracy of the registered data and the completeness of the coverage of the units of observation.

The results of the post-enumeration surveys confirm the conclusions already made about the not enumerated persons between 573.9 and 631.0 thousand. Not enumerated males predominate (9.9%) over the not enumerated females (8.7%).

The results are good, as regards the accuracy of the registered data, for the information gathered about the enumerated population during the Census 2021.

Consumption per capita varied between 65% and 144% of the EU average.

In November 2022, 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 November 2022 compared to November 2021 was 16.6%.

In November 2022, compared to the previous month, the highest price increase was registered for Recreation and culture (+2.9%), Communications (+2.7%), Health (+1.7%), Food and non-alcoholic beverages (+1.7%). The decrease was recorded in the prices for Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (-1.5%) and Transport (-0.5%).

In November 2022, the monthly inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 0.6% compared to the previous month, and the annual inflation rate in November 2022 compared to November 2021 was 14.3%.

Тhe exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU increased by 43.9% compared to the same period of 2021 and amounted to 47 165.6 million BGN, while the imports of goods from the EU grew by 32.8% and reached 44 065.9 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’ (263.9%) and ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (163.4%). A fall was reported in the section ‘Beverages and tobacco’ (11.5%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from the EU was recorded in the section ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (139.3%). Data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The exports to the EU increased by 40.2% in September 2022 compared to the corresponding month of the previous year and amounted to 5 531.7 million BGN, while the imports grew by 25.0% and added up to 5 210.0 million BGN.

The exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries increased by 37.0% compared to the same period of 2021 and amounted to 26 203.3 million BGN, while the imports of goods from third countries grew by 66.6% and added up to 40 825.6 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’ (228.2%) and ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (138.8%). A fall was reported in the section ‘Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’^[1] (5.4%). The largest growth in the imports of goods from third countries was recorded in the sections ‘Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes’ (478.9%) and ‘Mineral fuel, lubricants and related materials’ (146.7%). The data are by the Standard International Trade Classification.

The total value of all exported goods to third countries and the EU amounted to 79 004.3 million BGN in the period January - October 2022, which is 40.8% 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 90 204.5 million BGN and grew by 45.9%.