Economy - overview:
Bulgaria, a former communist country striving to enter the European
Union, has experienced macroeconomic stability and strong growth
since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then
socialist government. As a result, the government became committed
to economic reform and responsible fiscal planning. A $300 million
stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2001 has
supported government efforts to overcome high rates of poverty and
unemployment.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $49.23 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.8% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13.7%
industry: 28.5%
services: 57.9% (2001)
Population below poverty line:
12.6% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.5%
highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26.4 (2001)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.9% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
3.83 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate:
18% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $5.57 billion
expenditures: $5.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)
Industries:
electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery
and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined
petroleum, nuclear fuel
Industrial production growth rate:
2% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
41.38 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 47.8%
hydro: 8.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 44.1%
Electricity - consumption:
32.52 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
6.79 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
830 million kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
603 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
94,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
8.1 million bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
4 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
5.804 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
5.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.724 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products:
vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley,
sunflowers, sugar beets
Exports:
$5.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
Exports - partners:
Italy 15.5%, Germany 9.6%, Turkey 9.4%, Greece 9.2%, France 5.3%,
US 4.8% (2002)
Imports:
$6.9 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals
and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles
Imports - partners:
Russia 14.6%, Germany 14.4%, Italy 11.4%, Greece 6.1%, France 5.7%,
Turkey 5% (2002)
Debt - external:
$10.3 billion (yearend 2002)
Economic aid - recipient:
$300 million (2000 est.)
Currency:
lev (BGL)
Currency code:
BGN
Exchange rates:
leva per US dollar - 2.08 (2002), 2.18 (2001), 2.12 (2000), 1.84
(1999), 1.76 (1998)
note: on 5 July 1999, the lev was redenominated; the post-5 July
1999 lev is equal to 1,000 of the pre-5 July 1999 lev
Fiscal year:
calendar year