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Is it possible for all municipal projects in the state budget – worth a total of over 4 billion euros – to start this year? And for this to happen without weighing on the currently available budget resources? It sounds like some kind of focus, but it is actually completely achievable. There is a financial model that can unlock the launch of all projects at the local level, no matter which mayor is close to which party or what the limit of funds in the state budget for the year is.

Deep regional inequality remains one of the most persistent challenges to Bulgaria's economic development. The data for 2024 clearly show that although the national economy continues to grow and approaches average European levels, this progress is highly unevenly distributed. The leading economic centers - first and foremost the capital - not only maintain their lead, but also increase it compared to less developed regions, especially in Northern Bulgaria.

In 2024, Sofia continues to stand out more and more clearly in its economic development from the other regions, with GDP per capita reaching 35.4 thousand euros. Due to the large share of the capital's economy, only Stara Zagora exceeds the national average level of GDP by 22.4 thousand euros per capita.development.

Today is the official opening of the 25th Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina. Two decades after the country's last medal at a winter games (silver for Evgenia Radanova in Turin in 2006), Bulgaria enters the race with real chances of distinction. The rise of winter sports in recent years, including the emergence of exceptional young snowboarders, is undoubtedly also linked to the development and establishment of Bansko as a leading tourist and sports destination.

NSSI data show that there are over half a million people receiving disability pensions. However, the regional distribution reveals significant differences between regions. With a uniform national regulatory framework and a centralized system of medical expertise, such deviations point to the role of local socio-economic conditions, employment opportunities and institutional practices in implementing the rules.

The IME Regional Profiles study has been tracking the economic and social development of regions in Bulgaria for over a decade. The analysis includes dozens of data points in 12 different categories – six for economic development and six for social development. Overall, a persistent polarization between the leading economic cores and the peripheral regions is evident.

For more than a decade, the Institute for Market Economics has been presenting the publication "Regional Profiles: Indicators of Development " - the only almanac of its kind on regional development in Bulgaria. Regional Profiles, as the publication is better known, has become an undisputed trademark of the IME.