site.btaPublic Spending on Emergencies Plummets in 2023 Compared with Previous Two Years

In 2023, public spending on emergency preparedness, prevention, response and mitigation in Bulgaria totalled BGN 850,977,000, which was 0.46% of the country’s GDP. The amount decreased significantly from BGN 3,081,222,000 in 2022 and BGN 7,345,395,000 in 2021, when emergency expenditures swelled due to the impact of the Ukraine war and the COVID pandemic, the National Statistical Institute reported on Tuesday, based on Finance Ministry figures.

The largest portions of public resources on emergencies in 2023 were spent on preparedness (78.6%) and prevention (12.7%). In 2022 and 2021, the largest shares went towards recovery from, and response to, the effects of the pandemic and the Ukraine war.

In 2023, BGN 695,077,000 in public money for emergencies was spent by the central executive government, and BGN 155,900,000 was provided by local governments. The central funding was largely aimed at preparedness (BGN 627,526,000), including measures for fire safety and for management of the contingency reserve and wartime stockage. The largest shares of municipal money were used for recovery (BGN 65,420,000) and prevention (BGN 48,654,000).

EU funding accounted for 1.8% of Bulgaria’s public spending on emergencies in 2023, and the remaining 98.2% came from domestic sources. The EU money went mainly towards preparedness.

Protection from natural disasters and technological accidents absorbed 19.2% (BGN 163,591,000) of total public expenditures for emergencies in 2023, increasing by 6.3% from 2022 and 10.8% in 2021.

Emergencies

The year 2023 saw 14,850 emergencies (natural disasters, technological accidents, incidents and crises), increasing by 1% compared with 2022. Fires causing damage to property accounted for 50.4% of total emergencies. Traffic accidents causing injury or death were 47.2% of emergencies. There were 14,707 crisis events in 2022 and 14,041 in 2021.

A total of 667 people (10 people per 100,000 population) were killed in natural disasters, technological accidents, incidents and crises in 2023. Most of them (546) died in traffic accidents, and the second-largest group (113) lost their lives in fires. The highest numbers of emergency fatalities were reported in Sofia City (57) and Plovdiv Region (50), and the lowest, in the regions of Pernik and Smolyan (4 each).

Those injured in emergencies in 2023 totalled 9,415 (or 146 per 100,000 population). Transport incidents claimed 9,125 lives, and fires took 289 lives. The largest numbers of injured people were reported in Plovdiv Region (1,132), Sofia City (905) and Varna Region (871).

Natural disasters

A state of disaster was declared on 104 occasions in Bulgaria in 2023, which was 55 more than in 2022. In relative terms, the increase stood at 112%. The most frequent disasters were floodings, storms, harsh winter conditions and wildfires. Floodings declared as states of disaster increased by 62.5% year on year, and wildfires declared as disasters rose by 85.7%.

During the year in review, natural disasters affected, totally or partially, 88 of Bulgaria’s 265 municipalities. Disasters were most frequent in the regions of Varna, Sofia and Vratsa. Not a single disaster occurred in Kyustendil Region, Lovech Region, Sofia City and Yambol Region.

Five people were killed in natural disasters in 2023.

Disasters affected 1,321,253 people that year, accounting for 20.5% of Bulgaria’s population.