Research

Latest Publications:

• The Labor Market in 2013: Positive Data and Negative Outlook | 23.08.2013
• Half of the People outside Sofia are Insured in the Minimal Threshold | 16.07.2013
• Quality of Life in Bulgarian Districts | 01.07.2013
• Income: How Far Ahead is Sofia? | 01.07.2013
• Employment and Wage Growth Dynamics in Bulgarian Districts in 2012 | 16.06.2013
• The Effects of Ethnicity, Age and Employment on Parliamentary Elections | 18.05.2013
• Both Wages and Unemployment Keep Growing | 26.04.2013
• Is Employment Really Rising? | 19.04.2013
• Are Income Policies Adequate to the Reallity in the Regions? | 12.04.2013
• Where Did People Manage to Keep Their Jobs in the Last Ten years? | 21.12.2012
• Which Branches of the Economy Are Dominant in the Regions and how Sectoral Distribution Relates to Poverty Levels | 7.12.2012
• Regional Differences between North and South Bulgaria - Is Infrastructure the Reason? | 23.11.2012
• Poverty or Tranquility, Work or Fresh Air | 14.11.2012

The legal thresholds of taxation adopted by local authorities have widened somewhat in recent years, allowing also for a reduction in tax rates. It has already helped establishing an actual tax policy and even competition between municipalities, but the effect on the level and breakdown of revenues was not great.

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The educational trends presented above are the natural result of negative demographic processes developing in most districts. The absence of real competition between schools in some smaller settlements certainly does not help in improving the quality of education.

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Corruption and Poor Administration Go Hand in Hand

In May, a number of surveys were conducted among businesses and citizens in all 28 districts of the country for the purposes of this study. The aim of the surveys was to supplement the statistical information available with the subjective perceptions of the business environment and living conditions in separate districts. The results show a strong positive connection between corruption perceptions and the assessment of local administration's performance. 

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Factors Determining Life Satisfaction in Different Districts

The analysis of the survey conducted among 1,952 citizens of the 28 administrative districts was focused on three indicators: score on the performance of institutions, quality of life, and corruption. Their results show an interesting contrast at the district level that is largely in line with the perceptions of the business community. 

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