Haskovo

Haskovo is the district with the lowest GDP per capita in southern Bulgaria after Sliven, with only 9,100 BGN per capita in 2020, compared to the national average of 17,300 BGN, and has been growing at a rate lower than the average one in the country. Salaries and incomes are also rising, but remain relatively low. The average annual gross salary of employed people was 11,600 BGN in 2020, versus 16,700 BGN in the country. These indicators are the main factor for the relatively high poverty levels in the district. 27.4% of the population is living with material deprivation, compared to 19.4% on average nationally, and the share of the population living below the national poverty line is 32.9%, versus 22.1% on average countrywide.

In 2021, economic activity in Haskovo district maintained its level from the previous year and its rate remained relatively low – 67.5%, compared to 72.0% in the country. Unemployment remained low, but employment decreased as well. The employment rate reached 66.3%, compared to the national average of 68.1%. The local labor market continues to face the challenges posed by the educational structure of the workforce and the ageing population, although the indicators improved considerably in 2021. The share of university graduates among the 25–64 age group went up to 18.5%, compared to 29.6% in the country. Also, the share of people with primary or lower education decreased to 19.9%, compared to the national average of 16.6%. The population replacement rate as a ratio of the population aged 15–19 to those aged 60–64 reached 64.0%, compared to 69.4% in the country. This means that for every 100 people who are about to leave the labor market in the next few years, there will be 64 young people joining the workforce.

Investment activity in Haskovo district again remained slack in 2020. The number of non-financial enterprises in the district is 53 per 1,000 persons, compared to 60 per 1,000 persons in the country. FTA acquisition expenditures went up but remained low nevertheless – 1,200 BGN/person, compared to 3,300 BGN/person nationally. FDI decreased to 794 EUR/person and also remained considerably below the national average of 3,900 EUR/person. These indicator values are also a factor for the relatively low production value, which went down to 11,800 BGN/person, compared to 27,200 BGN/person nationally. Utilization of EU funds is also relatively poor. By 30 June 2022, payments made in the district to beneficiaries of EU operational programs amounted to 1,649 BGN/person, which is half the national average. Within the district, the highest amounts were utilized by the municipality of Svilengrad.

The density of the road and railway network in Haskovo district is above the national average. The share of first-class roads and highways is also higher than the national average – 21.5% in 2021, compared to 18.5% in the country. The quality of the roads has been improving, yet remains relatively low. The share of road surfaces in good condition was 39% in 2021, compared to 42% countrywide. Households’ access to the internet improved in 2021, reaching 81.1% in the district, versus 83.5% in the country. The share of households with access to a gas supply is low – 1.1%, against 5.3% nationally. Installed RES capacities are 0.9 kW/person, against 0.6 kW/person in the country.

In 2022, the levels of the monitored local taxes in the municipalities on the district’s territory again remained close to, though below the national average. The taxes on the immovable non-residential property for legal entities and motor vehicles were practically equal to the respective national averages. Lower than average were the tax rates on retail trade (12.75 BGN/sq. m, versus 12.99 BGN/sq. m in the country), on non-gratuitous acquisition of property (2.61%, against 2.75% nationally) and on taxi transportation (305 BGN, compared to 478 BGN countrywide). Within the district, the lowest local taxes are levied by the municipalities of Simeonovgrad and Ivaylovgrad, and the highest – by those of Madzharovo and Haskovo city.

In recent years, in line with the nationwide trend, cadastral map coverage in Haskovo district went up considerably and in 2021 it included 97.2% of the territory, compared to 97.4% in the country. In 2022, the self-assessments of the district’s municipalities on the development of e-government and the provision of one-stop-shop administrative services also went up considerably and exceeded the respective national averages. A decline was registered in the AIP Active transparency rating of the local administrations, which nevertheless remained above the national average – 72.2% in the district, versus 70.2% in the country.

In 2021, both the natural population growth and the net migration rate in Haskovo district registered a decrease. The natural population growth rate dropped to –15.5‰, compared to –13.2‰ nationally. The net migration rate went down but remained positive at 0.4‰. The trend towards population ageing in the district is continuing. In 2021, the population replacement rate as a ratio of the population aged 65+ to those aged 0–14 reached 160.6%, compared to 149.3% in the country, and to those aged 15–64 it was 37.5%, against 34.0% in the country. The share of people living in cities is comparable to the country’s average – 71.7%, versus 73.1% nationally. At the same time, population density is relatively low – 1,027 persons/sq. km, compared to 1,489 persons/sq. km nationally.

The district performs poorly as regards the education indicators. The coverage of the education system has improved and has come closer to the national average. In 2021, the net enrolment in 5th–8th grade was 85.6%, against 85.9% nationally. The number of teachers is increasing and has almost reached the country’s average. However, the shares of repeaters and dropouts from primary and secondary education remain high. Students’ results again remained low in 2022. The average score in the external examination in mathematics after 7th grade was 29.4 points, versus 35.3 points in the country. The average grade in the State matriculation exam in Bulgarian language and literature was “Good” 3.62, compared to 3.97 in the country, and the share of “fail” grades (below 3.00) was the highest in the country – 28.0%, against 17.0% nationally.

The healthcare system in Haskovo district suffers from a shortage of doctors and hospital beds. The number of doctors – both GPs and specialist physicians – is below the national average. In 2020, there was one GP per 1,932 people, compared to 1,734 people per doctor nationally. The number of beds in the district’s general hospitals remains extremely low, with 3.64 beds per 1,000 persons, compared to 5.62 beds per 1,000 people in the country. Population morbidity and infant mortality in the district are relatively high. The number of hospitalizations is 156.7 people per 1,000 persons, compared to the national average of 222.6 per 1,000 persons, which suggests that the population may be seeking health care outside the district given the limited number of doctors and hospital beds. The infant mortality rate has gone down, reaching 4.8‰, compared to the national average of 5.6‰. The number of people with health insurance increased slightly in 2021 and remains above the national average – 89.6% in the district, against 88.7% in the country. 

The workloads of criminal judges in the district increased slightly in 2021, reaching an average of 8.8 a month per one local judge, but they remained below the national average of 9.0 cases per judge. At the same time, the relative share of criminal cases closed within 3 months remained 88%, against 89% nationally, and pending cases decreased to 9.0%, against 11.8% countrywide. The crime rate in Haskovo district is comparable to that in the country on average, but the detection rate is considerably higher. The crimes against the person and property registered in 2021 amounted to 9.3 per 1,000 persons, compared to 9.8 per 1,000 persons nationally. The proportion of cleared crimes improved and reached 63.4%, against 51.7% nationally.

The high assessment of Haskovo district in the environment category is mainly due to the relatively low volumes of generated household waste. In 2020, the annual amount of generated waste was 313 kg/person, compared to the national average of 409 kg/person. 71.2% of all generated household waste was handed over for recycling and treatment, compared to 69.3% in the country. There has been little change in the share of households with access to a public sewerage network, which in 2020 reached 72.3%, against 76.3% in the country. The share of households whose sewerage system is connected to a wastewater treatment plant was 53.2%, compared to 66.7% countrywide. The amount of forest areas is close to the national average – 32.4% in the district, compared to 33.1% in the country, but degraded land is significantly more limited – 0.15% in the district, compared to 0.42% in the country in 2021.

Cultural life in Haskovo district has shown little intensity. After the sharp decline in 2020, in 2021 it intensified, although none of the values of the monitored indicators managed to return to their pre-pandemic level. Cinema visits reached 91 per 1,000 persons, against 351 per 1,000 persons nationally. Visits to the local theatres and museums numbered 55 per 1,000 persons, against 129 per 1,000 persons in the country, and 109 per 1,000 persons, against 426 per 1,000 persons nationwide respectively. The local libraries attracted 215 visits per 1,000 persons, against 449 per 1,000 persons in the country on average.