“The annual inflation for April exceeded seven percent. This is a record value for the last few years, with higher levels only measured in 2022”, commented the Chairman of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) Assoc. Prof. Atanas Atanasov in the program “Wake up” on NOVA. He specified that the current growth of 7.1% is mainly due to the situation in the Middle East and the increase in the cost of transport.
According to NSI data, the most drastic increase is in fuels. “Diesel has increased in price by nearly 50%, gasoline has also seen a serious increase. For the first time, we have an increase in absolutely all goods and services”, pointed out Assoc. Prof. Atanasov. He also noted an unexpectedly high jump of 20% in veterinary services, as well as a 10% increase in restaurant prices. As the only stable group, he pointed to clothing and footwear, where prices are maintained.
The chairman of the statistical institute explained the inflation with two theories: increased production costs and higher incomes of the population, which stimulate demand.
Despite the increase in prices, Assoc. Prof. Atanasov emphasized that average incomes in Bulgaria are growing faster than prices. “The increase in incomes for the last year is over 12%, which is ahead of inflation”, he said.
According to him, Bulgarians are increasingly choosing luxury vacations: “Over half of the hotels used by our compatriots in our country are 4 and 5 stars. Trips to Egypt and Tunisia are no longer exotic, but a reality for many people”.
Assoc. Prof. Atanasov also presented data on the demographic situation in the country. “The trend of high mortality continues – last year, nearly 100 thousand people died, while only 50 thousand were born”, he announced.
Positive news is observed in migration. Over the past few years, more people have settled in Bulgaria than have left it. “These are mainly people coming from Turkey, Ukraine and Bulgarians returning from Germany. This helps the population not to decrease as rapidly as in the last 20 years”, explained Assoc. Prof. Atanasov.