Economic development
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The economic development of Blagoevgrad district is very good. In 2019 GDP per capita continued its growth, although it remained significantly lower than the national average. Salaries and income levels have also been rising. Economic activity remains relatively high, but in 2020 employment rates fell and unemployment rates rose. The number of non-financial enterprises relative to the population has continued to rise and remains the third highest in the country. Blagoevgrad is among the districts with the best road surface quality. Contrary to general nationwide trends, the district is relatively well developed economically, and in 2021 the level of local taxes again remained quite low.
GDP per capita in the district of Burgas continued to grow in 2019, though at a slower pace than the national average. Salaries and income levels have also been rising but remain below the average ones. Alongside the decline in economic activity there has been a drop in employment accompanied by a rise in unemployment rates. Investment and business activity in Burgas district remains among the highest in the country. The number of non-financial enterprises relative to the population is the second highest in the country and the volume of FDI – the third highest. In 2021 Burgas remained one of the districts with the highest local tax rates in the country. The Active transparency ratings of the local administration went up in 2021 and made up for their lag the previous year.
GDP per capita in Varna district has continued to grow, and in 2019 it overtook that of Stara Zagora and returned Varna to the third place in the country. The same has happened with wages. Trends in the labor market in 2020 placed the district in a relatively favorable position. In 2019 investment and business activity again remained relatively high, although some negative trends were also in evidence. The infrastructure remained well developed in 2020. The average levels of the monitored local taxes remained relatively high in 2021. The 2021 self-assessment rates of the local administrations on the development of e-government and the provision of one-stop shop administrative services showed a considerable increase.
GDP per capita in Veliko Tarnovo district has been growing, but at a rate below the national average and over the past ten years the gap has been on the increase. A similar trend has been in evidence as regards the salaries of employed persons. Investment and business activity is unsatisfactory. However, in 2020 the indicators for the labor market and the trends in it give the district a top place in the country, where it comes second only after Sofia (capital). The density of the road and railway networks is high, but the share of highways and first-class roads remains low. Local taxes are relatively high. The Active transparency ratings of the local administration remain above the national average.
Vidin is the district with the worst indicators for incomes and quality of life in the country. The decline in employment and the increase in unemployment in 2020 were not as high as in the rest of the country, but overall labor market indicators remained significantly less favorable. Investment and business activity is relatively weak. The infrastructure indicators are the lowest in the country. Vidin is the district with the lowest average rates of the monitored local taxes for 2021, and Gramada is the municipality with the lowest taxes not only in Vidin district, but also in the whole country. The 2021 self-assessments of the administration on the development of their e-government and the provision of one-stop-shop services are among the lowest in the country. The transparency ratings of local administrations also remain extremely low.
Vratsa is one of the two districts in which GDP per capita shrank in 2019. At the same time, however, salaries and incomes continued to grow at a higher than average rate. The labor market indicators place Vratsa district in an unfavorable position. The challenges facing the local labor market continue to be the relatively low-educated workforce and the ageing population. Economic and investment activity is relatively low, but production value continues to grow. The whole district performs poorly in terms of the indicators for infrastructural development. The average level of local taxes in the local municipalities was again relatively low in 2021.
The average annual income per household member in Gabrovo is the second highest in the country after that in the capital. It is one of the districts with the highest share of people in the workforce with secondary education, which corresponds to its industrial profile. The ageing of the population remains a challenge for the labor market. Business and investment activity again remained high in 2019. Gabrovo ranks second in the country as regards the utilization of European funds. The infrastructural development is very good, and this is the district with the densest road network in the country. Although Gabrovo is among the districts with relatively highly developed economy, the level of local taxes again remained low in 2021. The transparency of the local municipalities records high values.
GDP per capita in Dobrich district has continued to grow but its growth rate and volume has fallen below the respective national averages. The decrease in economic activity has been accompanied by a shrinkage of employment and a rise in unemployment. Investment activity remained relatively unfavorable in 2019. The utilization of European funds has continued to grow, but relative to the population in the district it remains lower than the national average. Dobrich is among the districts with the highest share of households with access to a gas supply. The level of local taxation in the municipalities remained relatively low in 2021. The rating of the local governments improved considerably in 2021, thus ranking Dobrich in the top place in the whole country.
Over the past few years GDP per capita in Kardzhali district has registered a steady increase. Salaries and incomes have also been rising fast, though at a rate lower than the national average and their levels are still far from the average ones in the country. In 2020 the labor market in the district again faced great difficulties. Economic activity remains the lowest in the country, employment is shrinking, and the workforce is among the least educated. FTA acquisition expenditures have increased considerably and are now already among the highest in the country, but production value remains low. A relatively limited proportion of the road surfaces is in good condition. The level of local taxes is low. The performance of the administration is poor.
GDP per capita, salaries and incomes in Kyustendil district have all been growing but their levels remain below the national averages. Employment remains low and in 2020 it even went into decline. The trend toward population ageing is still a challenge before the labor market. Investment activity is among the weakest in the country. Utilization of European funds also retains its low levels. The density of the road and railway networks in the district remains higher than the national average. The share of highways and first-class roads is also higher. The average rate of local taxes in the municipalities is among the lowest in the country. However, the Active transparency rating of the local self-government also remains among the lowest in the country.
GDP per capita in Lovech district grew in 2019, but both its growth rate and its overall value continued to lag behind the national average. Salaries and incomes also registered an increase. The shrinkage of economic activity was accompanied by a decline in both employment and unemployment. Investment activity is not particularly intense. The number of enterprises remains relatively low. The volume of production in the district also remains limited. The share of households with internet access has registered significant growth. The average level of local taxes in the municipalities of Lovech district is relatively low. The transparency assessment of the local self-government bodies is declining, but remains higher than the national average.
Montana is one of the districts with the lowest incomes and quality of life in Bulgaria, which is the main prerequisite for the high poverty levels among its population. Economic activity has registered the highest growth rate in the country but, at the same time, this has been accompanied by the highest rates of increase in both employment and unemployment, even though they remain considerably less favourable than average. Investment activity is relatively low but utilization of European funds is relatively high. This is the district with the lowest share of highways and first-class roads in the country. The average rate of local taxes is the second lowest in the country. The self-assessment ratings of the local administrations for the development of electronic government continue to lag behind.
GDP in Pazardzhik district continued to grow in 2019, but at a rate below the national average and its amount continued to lag behind the average one in the country. The average annual income per household member declined and poverty levels remained high. The local labor market is still facing the challenge presented by the educational profile of the workforce. Investment activity in the district is not very strong. In 2019 there was an outflow of FDI. Pazardzhik is the district with the highest rating for infrastructural development and the leader in installed RES capacity. The average rate of local taxes levied by municipalities is relatively low. Their self-assessments for the development of e-government and the provision of onestop shop services remain below the national average.
The relatively high incomes in Pernik district are the main prerequisite for the relatively low poverty levels of its population. The workforce has a high proportion of people with secondary education. Population ageing remains a major challenge for the local labor market. Investment activity in the district is relatively weak. Utilization of European funds is growing, but the district still ranks among the last in the country in this category. The share of highways and first-class roads remains low, but road quality is good. The average rates of the local taxes levied by the local municipalities remained relatively low in 2021. Cadastral map coverage in the district has been growing rapidly. The self-assessment rating on the transparency of the district’s municipalities is among the lowest in the country.
Although in 2019 GDP per capita in Pleven district again recorded considerable growth, it still remained relatively low. The rise in economic activity in the district was accompanied by a decline in employment and a rise in unemployment. Investment and business activity rallied and grew significantly in 2019, but the indicator values still lagged considerably behind the national average. The share of highways and first-class roads is low and so is road quality. Local taxes remained close to the national average in 2021. The ratings for the transparency of the local governments lag behind the national ones.
GDP per capita in Plovdiv district has continued to grow at a rate similar to the national average, and in 2019 it was the fifth highest in the country. The decline in the labor market activity compared to the previous year was accompanied by a decline in employment and a rise in unemployment, but both remained relatively favorable. However, there has been a decline in FDI stock. The infrastructural development in the district can be assessed as good. The density of the railroad network remains high. The level of local taxation in Plovdiv district is relatively high. The 2021 self-assessments of the local administrations for the development of e-government and the provision of one-stop shop administrative services exceeded the national average.
The lagging behind of both the economic development and the incomes in Razgrad has left its impact on the poverty levels in the district. Employment has been declining and unemployment has risen, with both remaining significantly more unfavorable than the national average. The local labor market continues to face the challenge posed by the educational structure of the workforce. Investment activity in the district remains low. The density of the road network is relatively high, but the shares of highways and first-class roads, as well as that of road surfaces in good condition, are extremely low. The average level of local taxes levied by the local municipalities is lower than the national average. The self-assessments of the local administrations on the development of e-government and the provision of one-stop shop administrative services are improving.
GDP per capita in Ruse district has been growing, but at a significantly lower rate within the past few years, and so the district has been increasingly lagging behind the national averages. Poverty levels are similar to the average ones in the country. In 2020 there was a rally in the labor market. Employment rates went up and unemployment rates fell. Ruse is also among the districts with the most highly educated workforce. Investment activity is moving closer to the national average. Ruse is the district with the highest railway network density in the country. A bare 11.5% of the road surface is in good condition. The average level of the tax burden is close the national average. Cadastral map coverage in the district has been rising.
Silistra is the district with the lowest GDP per capita in Bulgaria and despite this, it has been growing relatively slowly. At the same time, the share of population living with material deprivation remains relatively low. The development of the local labor market remains unsatisfactory. The employment rate is the second lowest in the country. Silistra is among the districts with the weakest investment activity. FDI per capita remains the lowest in the country. Household access to the Internet is increasing and is relatively high. Typically for the economically less developed districts, the average level of local taxes in Silistra district is low. The average rating for the transparency of the local government also remains lower.
Sliven is among the districts with the lowest GDP per capita and in spite of this, it has been growing relatively slowly. Household incomes remain relatively low. These indicators are also the main factor for the high poverty levels in the district. The educational structure of the workforce is still a challenge before the local labor market. Investment activity is extremely low and the district ranks last in the country in this category. The basic infrastructure retains its high level. The self-assessments of the local administrations on the development of e-government and the provision of one-stop shop administrative services are significantly lower than the respective national averages.
Over the last two decades, GDP in Smolyan district has been growing, though at a slower rate than the average one for the country’s economy, and so the margin between them has widened. Incomes, however, continue to exceed the national averages, which explains the relatively low poverty levels in the district. Population ageing remains among the major challenges for the continuing development of the local labor market. FTA expenditures per capita have been rising considerably. FDI has remained at persistently low levels. The specific geographic location of the district as a border region and its mountainous terrain account for its relatively underdeveloped infrastructure. Smolyan ranks among the districts with relatively low local tax rates.
The high GDP per capita and salaries are a precondition for the relatively low poverty levels in Sofia district. The development of the local labor market in 2020 was very good, which again manifests the deep interrelation between the economies of the capital and the district of Sofia. The good economic development is also accompanied by high investment activity. The density of the road network is higher than the national average, and the share of highways and first-class roads is the second largest in the country. The average level of local taxes in the municipalities of Sofia district is generally close to the national average. The performance of the local administrations in the district is poor.
Sofia (capital) has the highest GDP per capita in Bulgaria, with a value double the national average and twice that of the district ranking second in this indicator – Sofia district. Its good performance in the indicators for economic development is also manifested in the favorable dynamics of the local labor market. The capital remains the district with the best educational structure of its workforce. It is also the undisputed leader in investment activity. The share of households with access to broadband internet continues to increase. In 2021, the capital was once again the district with the highest local taxes. It has the highest scores in the municipal administration’s self-assessments on the development of e-government and the provision of one-stop shop administrative services.
GDP per capita in Stara Zagora decreased in 2019 and the district lost its second place in this indicator. However, salaries and incomes in the district continue to rise. Economic activity is declining, but remains relatively high and over the past few years has been consistently above the national average. Employment and unemployment rates are more favorable than the respective country averages. There are a relatively small number of enterprises in the district, but production value is relatively high. The share of road surfaces in good condition lags behind the average figures. Stara Zagora maintains relatively low local taxes. The self-assessments of local administrations for the development of e-government and the provision of one-stop-shop administrative services are poor.
In 2019, the growth of GDP in Targovishte district slowed down, leaving the district to lag even further behind the national average. Targovishte is the district with the weakest performance for 2020 as regards the labor market indicators. A huge challenge for the labor market in the district is the deteriorating educational structure of the workforce. The FTA acquisition expenditures and FDI are relatively stable, although they stand significantly below the national average. The quality of the road surfaces is good. Local taxes in the district are low. The self-assessments of the local administrations on e-government development and the provision of one-stop-shop services are improving.
Household incomes in Haskovo district have been gradually rising, yet the issue of high poverty levels and material deprivation persists. Employment has fallen below the national average. The local labor market continues to face the challenges posed by the educational structure of the workforce and the ageing population. Investment activity remains low. The density of the road and railway networks in the district is relatively high. The share of highways and first-class roads is also higher than average. Local taxes are lower than average. The self-assessments of local administrations for the development of e-government and the provision of one-stop shop administrative services are improving, but remain below the national average.
The growth of GDP, incomes and salaries in Shumen district has continued, though it is not sufficient for convergence with the respective national averages. Poverty levels are relatively high. Unemployment is still the main problem facing the local labor market. Investment activity remains relatively low. FTA acquisition expenditures and FDI stocks have recorded a decrease. Shumen is the district with the highest share of first-class roads and highways in the country. The municipalities in the district have kept local taxes relatively low. In 2021 there was an improvement in the self-assessments of the local administrations for the development of e-government and the provision of one-stop shop administrative services but they remained relatively low.
GDP in Yambol district has continued to grow, but remains far from the average level in the country. Incomes and salaries in the district also remain lower, which is the main factor for the high level of poverty in the district. Employment retains its value from the previous year and remains relatively low. FDI stocks have decreased and remain among the lowest in the country. Yambol is characterized by a high density of the road network, but the railway network is among the least developed in the country. The average levels of local taxes in 2021 were close to the national averages. The self-assessments of the local administrations in Yambol district for the development of e-government and the provision of one-stop-shop services are low.
Categories
For more information on the indicators choose one of the six categories:
Income and living conditions
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Labour market
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Investments
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Infrastructure
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Taxes and administration
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Administration
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