Bulgaria's Q1 GDP Grows 2% Y/Y

According to preliminary estimates, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Bulgaria in the first quarter of 2015 exceeded BGN 17 B, amounting to BGN 2395 per capita.

Thus, GDP increased by 2 % in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same quarter last year and recorded a growth of 0.9 % compared to the last quarter of 2014.

This becomes clear from the latest figures of the National Statistical Institute (NSI), which were released on Thursday.

In the first quarter of 2015, the number of employed people aged 15 or above stood slightly below three million, their number representing 47.7 % of the population in this age group.

Compared to the first quarter of 2014, their relative share increased by 1.2 %.

In the first quarter of 2015, the number of unemployed people amounted to slightly above 349 000, with the unemployment coefficient being 10.6 %.

Compared to the first quarter last year, the number of unemployed people decreased by 19.4 %, while the unemployment coefficient dropped by 2.4 %.

In March, the average wage was BGN 882, which represented an increase of 5.1 % compared to the previous month and a growth of 8.5 % compared to the same month in 2014.

In the first four months of the year, the current account was positive and exceeded EUR 163 M, while in the same period last year there was a deficit of EUR 436 M.

Between January and April, the balance of trade was negative EUR 911 M, but lower than the deficit, which exceeded EUR 1 B in the same period last year.

Between January and April, exports exceeded EUR 7 B, registering an increase of more than EUR 937 M compared to the same period last year.

Imports exceeded EUR 8 B, recording an increase of nearly EUR 466 M compared to the same period in 2014.

In the first four months of 2015, direct investments abroad exceeded EUR 31 M, while foreign direct investments exceeded EUR 523.5 M.

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