Bulgaria’s growth in industrial production and retail sales accelerated in May after easing in the previous month, while construction output dropped at a faster pace, preliminary figures from the National Statistical Institute showed Wednesday.
Industrial production grew a working-day-adjusted 3.9 percent year-on-year in May, faster than April’s 1.6 percent gain. In March, production had risen 2.6 percent.
Production growth in the manufacturing sector quickened to 4 percent from 0.4 percent, while mining and quarrying sector output rebounded to 0.7 percent growth from a 0.8 percent fall. However, utility sector growth eased to 5.6 percent from 7.3 percent.
Month-on-month, industrial production edged up 0.4 percent in May, the same rate of increase in the previous month. In March, output had fallen 1.4 percent.
Separately, the statistical office revealed that construction output dropped a working-day-adjusted 7.0 percent yearly in May, but faster than prior month’s 1.1 percent decline. It was the fifth consecutive monthly drop.
On a monthly basis, construction output dipped for the fifth straight month in May by 3.3 percent, following a 1.5 percent fall in April.
In an another report, the statistical office announced that retail sales, except automotive trade, growth quickened in May, increasing by 0.8 percent following the 0.5 percent rise in April.
Sale of non-food products, except fuel went up 0.5 percent in May from a year ago, while sale of food, beverages and tobacco fell by 3.1 percent. Sales of automotive fuel in specialized stores grew 7 percent.
Compared to the previous month, retail sales edged up 0.2 percent in May, reversing April’s 0.1 percent decline.
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