Bulgaria’s Jan-July C/A Gap Halves to 7.2%/GDP - Table

Bulgaria's current account deficit fell to 2.450 billion euro ($3.601 billion) through July from 4.840 billion euro a year earlier, the central bank said in a statement.

In July alone Bulgaria had a current account surplus of 102 million euro versus a gap of 439.1 million euro a year earlier.

A shrinking trade gap was the main reason for the decrease in the current account deficit. Bulgaria's trade deficit fell to 2.817 billion euro in the first seven months of 2009, equivalent to 8.3% of the projected GDP, from 4.998 billion euro, or 14.6% of GDP, in the same period last year.

Exports fell 30.6% year-on-year to 6.437 billion euro through July, compared to a 23.9% annual rise in the first seven months of 2008.

Bulgaria's January-July imports decreased by 35.1% on the year to 9.254 billion euro. In the first seven months of 2008 imports rose by 26.9% on the year.

Foreign direct investments (FDI) in the country totalled 1.881 billion euro, or 5.6% of the projected GDP, and covered 76.8% of the current account deficit in January to July, compared to 11.6% in the year-ago period when FDI was 81.7% of GDP.

Details follow:

($ = 0.6804 euro)