site.btaNational Statistical Institute Reports Decrease in Number of Closed Enterprises in Bulgaria in 2022 Y/Y

In 2022, Bulgaria reported an 8.3% rate of enterprise death, which amounted to 32,898 enterprises, resulting in 2.4% of employees losing their jobs, indicates data from the Business Demography for 2022 survey by the National Statistical Institute (NSI).

The highest share of closed enterprises was in sector G, Trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (38.2%). The most viable enterprises were those in sector B, Mining and quarrying, with less than 0.1% enterprise death.

NSI data show that enterprise death amounted to 33,400 enterprises in 2021, representing 8.7% of active enterprises in the same year, and 2.5% of employees lost their jobs. The two sectors maintained their positions in terms of the share of dead and viable enterprises.

In 2023, there were 404,257 active enterprises in Bulgaria, which is 2.6% more than in the previous year, 2022. There were 43,353 new enterprises, representing 10.7% of the total number of enterprises in the sectors of the economy under review. NSI data show that in 2022 there were 394,135 active enterprises in Bulgaria and 39,445 newly established ones.

A total of 32,154, or 81.5% of all newly established enterprises in 2022, survived 2023, with the highest relative share being the group with 1-4 employees (90.3%). In 2021, there were 38,314 newly established enterprises, of which 31,504, or 83.1%, survived 2022, according to NSI data.