The Bulgarian industry sectors also produce substantial quantities of:
Machine tools
Caustic soda
Nuclear energy
Military hardware
Munitions
Other finished and semi-finished products
Bulgaria is the largest electricity exporter in South-eastern Europe. In fact, the location of the country makes it the best place to strive for a higher growth rate. Bulgaria lies at the cross roads of Europe and Asia and therefore is an important location for inter-continent trade. The nation has rich mineral deposits and an efficient work force. The active contribution by the service sector gives a big boost to the economy as well. In 2009, the service sector contributed almost 64.9% of the total GDP.
The two big sectors of Bulgarian industry are energy and metallurgy. In fact, Bulgaria is the largest exporter of electricity in south-eastern Europe. Once the new pipelines are laid, the role of Bulgaria in oil transit will increase significantly.
The following industries are prominent for their contribution to the GDP:
Electricity
Gas
Water
Food
Beverages
Tobacco
Machinery and equipment
Base metals
Chemical products
Coke
Refined petroleum
Nuclear fuel
The Bulgarian industry sector absorbs around 35.5% of the total workforce as well. Below is a table depicting how the sector performs when compared to other sectors (in percentage):
Recession, however, proved more than just detrimental to growth. The unemployment rate jumped to 8% in 2009 and the worst hit was the industry sector. The Bulgarian industry sector suffered a 10% decline in the national industrial production index and mining fell by 60%. Ferrous and metal production dropped by another 31%.
According to government predictions, the GDP will experience a decline of 2.2% in 2010, besides there being a budget deficit of 0.7%.