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In the debate on the financial situation of a local governments and the size of their own revenues, property taxes often come to the fore, mainly because of the outdated tax assessments and the lack of an adequate mechanism for updating them.

The study analyses the extent to which vocational education in Bulgaria meets the needs of the labour market. The Index of Correspondence between Vocational Education and the Structure of the Economy measures the ratio between the planned enrollment of students in vocational specialties and the distribution of employment of people with acquired professional qualifications in different sectors. The index is calculated on a scale of 0 to 100 points, where higher values indicate a better match.

If you think that mathematics can only be taught and learned well in mathematics high schools or elite schools, you are wrong. Data from recent state matriculation exams show that even in small and remote schools there are "white swallows" - students who choose and successfully pass the difficult profiled mathematics exam. The schools where they study compete in results and activity of large regional mathematics high schools They show that nothing is impossible in education and for a qualitative change good teachers and focused efforts are needed.

IME analysis shows opportunities for expanding municipalities' financial autonomy. The budget expenditures of municipalities in Bulgaria will reach BGN 14.7 billion in 2024. The significant growth in local spending since the pandemic has been driven almost entirely by transfers from central government. Over the last 10 years, there has been a serious decline in the financial autonomy of municipalities, as measured by the share of own tax and non-tax revenues in total local spending. The share of own revenues of municipalities in Bulgaria has shrunk from over 40% in 2015-2017 to below 25% in 2024.

Gross domestic product, incomes and pensions in Yambol district continue to grow. The share of the working age population in the district is one of the lowest in the country. Investment activity remains weak. Yambol is characterised by a high road density, but the railway network is among the least developed in the country. Average local tax levels are close to average. The self-assessment of administrations in Yambol district on the development of e-government and the provision of one-stop administrative services is increasing. Both natural and mechanical growth in the district are unfavourable. The performance of the district's students is not among the best, but an improvement compared to other districts is reported. The health sector suffers from a low relative number of specialist doctors as well as limited bed capacity in hospitals. The caseload of local judges is significantly lower than the national average, but the administration of justice is relatively slow. The volume of municipal waste generated is low. Tourism is very low.

The gross domestic product, incomes and pensions in Shumen district continue to grow. The increase in the employment rate in the district is significant and for the first time it outpaces the national average. Investment activity remains relatively low. Shumen is the district with the highest share of first-class roads and motorways in the country. Municipalities in Shumen district have relatively low levels of local taxes. The rating for transparency of local government bodies remains significantly higher than average. Natural growth is less favourable than average, but the district is managing to attract population. Student performance continues to be among the weakest in the state. Health care in the district suffers from a shortage of hospital beds, but bed utilisation is the highest in the country. The workload of local judges remains weak, which has a positive impact on the speed of justice. The number of crimes in the district is low and the detection rate is high. The proportion of disturbed territory is limited. Tourism in the district is relatively low.

Over the past three years, the number of judicial recusals in Bulgaria has slightly exceeded 60,000. In 2024 alone, the number surpassed 25,000 – setting a new record. In the first four months of 2025, recusals have already reached 11,325. What do these figures mean? What are the reasons behind the high number of recusals? What are the consequences, and what solutions does the Institute for Market Economics (IME) propose? You can find the answers in the analysis published today: "A Stand for Independence or a Symptom of Vulnerability: Judicial Recusals in Bulgaria in 2024."