According to the preliminary data of the NSI, the consumer price index in January 2017 compared to December 2016 was 101.3%, i.e. the monthly inflation was 1.3%.
According to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute at the end of December 2016 the number of employees under labour contract decreased by 1.7% as compared to the end of September 2016 and reached 2.27 million.
In the fourth quarter of 2016 in comparison with the third quarter of 2016 the average monthly wages and salaries increased by 5.2% getting 990 BGN.
In the fourth quarter of 2016 the unemployment rate was 6.7% and the employment rate of population aged 20 - 64 was 67.7%.
According to the seasonally adjusted data, the GDP growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2016 is 3.4% compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
According to preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute in the fourth quarter of 2016 the number of newly built residential buildings was 634 and the newly built dwellings in them were 2 451. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2015 the buildings were 2 more (or 0.3%), and the newly built dwellings in them increased by 455 or by 22.8%.
In December 2016, 1 938 accommodation establishments - hotels, motels, camping sites, mountain chalets and other establishments for short-term accommodation with more than 10 bed-places were functioned in the country. The total number of the rooms in them was 57.4 thousand and the bed-places were 116.7 thousand. In comparison with December 2015 the total number of accommodation establishments (functioned during the period) decreased with 1.6%, while the bed-places in them increased by 1.6%.
The total number of the nights spent in all accommodation establishments registered in December 2016 was 808.2 thousand, or by 13.2% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year.
The total revenues from nights spent in December 2016 reached 41.6 million BGN or by 14.7% more compared to December 2015.
In 2016 the Bulgarian exports to third countries decreased by 5.9% compared to 2015 and amounted to 14 957.0 Million BGN while the imports dropped by 7.1% and added up to 17 090.2 Million BGN.
In 2016 the total value of all exported goods (both for third countries and EU) amounted to 46 104.9 Million BGN and compared to previous year the exports increased by 2.6% while the total value of all imported goods added up to 51 005.8 Million BGN and dropped by 1.1%.
In the period January - November 2016 the Bulgarian exports to the EU grew by 6.8% compared to the same period of 2015 and amounted to 28 707.3 Million BGN while the imports from the EU increased by 1.9% and reached 30 877.7 Million BGN.
In November 2016 the exports to the EU grew by 12.8% in comparison with the corresponding month of the previous year and amounted to 2 781.7 Million BGN while the imports added up to 3 098.1 Million BGN and grew by 1.7%.
According to the preliminary data, in December 2016 the index of production in section ‘Construction’ calculated on the base of seasonally adjusted data was 2.1% below the level of the previous month. In December 2016 the working day adjusted index of production in construction decreased by 9.7% in comparison with the same month of 2015.
According to the preliminary seasonally adjusted data in December 2016 the turnover in ‘Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles’ at constant prices increased by 0.1% compared to the previous month.