The economies of the 27 EU countries contracted at a record high in the first quarter of 2020 by 3.3%. Only 9 countries show a small growth. Among them is Bulgaria with a 2.4% increase in GDP compared to the same period in 2019, Eurostat reported.
Compared to December 2019, only the economies of Finland, Bulgaria and Romania have a growth of 0.3 percent.
According to national statistics, Bulgaria has a weaker growth in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2019. Then GDP growth was 3.1%, while in 2020 it was 2.4%. The sharp slowdown is due to the decline in final consumption, which began before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the National Statistical Institute.