Economy, jobs and prices in Gabrovo (Severen tsentralen, Bulgaria): official figures
GDP per person was 20,500 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 51% of the EU average (66% for Bulgaria); 7th highest of 28 provinces in Bulgaria.
How big is the economy of Gabrovo?
The local economy produced €1.2 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Gabrovo?
About 53,470 people worked in Gabrovo in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Gabrovo district?
Employees in Gabrovo district earned an average of 22,267 leva in 2024 (about 1,856 leva a month), 80% of the national average of 27,898 leva and 8th highest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhich jobs pay most in Gabrovo district?
In Gabrovo the best-paid sector in 2024 was information and communication at 33,126 leva a year, and the lowest-paid was administrative and support service activities at 12,882 leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the GDP per capita of Gabrovo district?
Gross domestic product per person in Gabrovo was 24,762 leva in 2024, 78% of the national figure; industry produced 38.9% of its gross value added and services 56.9%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow much foreign investment does Gabrovo district have?
Foreign direct investment in non-financial enterprises in Gabrovo stood at 487 million euro at the end of 2024, or 5,193 euro per resident, 4th highest of 28 districts (national average 5,267 euro).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many companies are there in Gabrovo district?
There were 6,514 non-financial enterprises in Gabrovo in 2024 (69 per 1,000 residents, national 73), employing 37,228 people and reporting net sales of 5,781 million leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Gabrovo district?
Labour offices in Gabrovo district had 1,619 registered unemployed people on average in 2024, a registered unemployment level of 3.9% against 5.2% nationally, 4th lowest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many hotels are there in Gabrovo district?
Gabrovo district had 77 accommodation establishments with 3,590 bed-places in 2024, and they welcomed 103,160 overnight visitors.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Gabrovo?
The largest part of the economy of Gabrovo in 2024 was industry (manufacturing, mining and energy), at 36.1% of gross value added, followed by trade, transport, hospitality and communications (21.6%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Gabrovo?
Industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) made up 36.1% of output in 2024, against 19.4% for Bulgaria.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Gabrovo growing?
Gross value added rose from €0.5 billion in 2015 to €1.0 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 94% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Gabrovo?
Of the 53,470 jobs located in Gabrovo in 2023, 20% in public services, education, health and other services, 41% in industry and 9.2% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Gabrovo?
The number of people working in Gabrovo fell by 2.0% between 2015 and 2023, to 53,470.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Gabrovo district had an average of 37,266 employees on labour or civil-service contracts in 2024; 45.9% of them worked in manufacturing (national share 19.1%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Measured in current prices, GDP per person in Gabrovo rose from 15,379 leva in 2019 to 24,762 leva in 2024, a gain of 61% (Bulgaria: 76%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Businesses and public bodies in Gabrovo spent 445 million leva on acquiring tangible fixed assets in 2024, 4,738 leva per resident against 5,793 leva nationally; the private sector accounted for 82%. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Of the registered unemployed in Gabrovo in 2024, 9.8% were aged 29 or under and 9.0% had been registered for more than a year (national shares 11.1% and 20.4%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Accommodation in Gabrovo earned 10.8 million leva from 196,480 nights spent in 2024, about 55 leva per night against 87 leva across Bulgaria. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Gabrovo compares with other provinces in Bulgaria
Registered unemployment level (%) (2024)
Gabrovo ranks 25 of 28, highest first. Average annual number of unemployed registered at labour offices as a share of the labour force
| Rank | Area | Registered unemployment level (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Plovdiv | 4.0% |
| 23 | Stara Zagora | 4.0% |
| 24 | Sofia | 4.0% |
| 25 | Gabrovo | 3.9% |
| 26 | Pernik | 3.8% |
| 27 | Varna | 3.5% |
| 28 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 1.7% |
Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) (2024)
Gabrovo ranks 26 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Vidin | 60 |
| 23 | Silistra | 59 |
| 24 | Pernik | 58 |
| 25 | Pleven | 57 |
| 26 | Gabrovo | 55 |
| 27 | Montana | 54 |
| 28 | Vratsa | 45 |
Average annual wage of employees (leva) (2024)
Gabrovo ranks 8 of 28, highest first. Employees under labour and civil-service contracts
| Rank | Area | Average annual wage of employees (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Stara Zagora | 24,731 |
| 6 | Plovdiv | 23,473 |
| 7 | Ruse | 22,490 |
| 8 | Gabrovo | 22,267 |
| 9 | Shumen | 22,095 |
| 10 | Pleven | 21,930 |
| 11 | Razgrad | 21,765 |
Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) (2024)
Gabrovo ranks 4 of 28, highest first. Stock in non-financial enterprises at 31 December 2024
| Rank | Area | Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 14,097 |
| 2 | Sofia | 11,251 |
| 3 | Burgas | 5,558 |
| 4 | Gabrovo | 5,193 |
| 5 | Plovdiv | 4,110 |
| 6 | Varna | 3,767 |
| 7 | Razgrad | 3,191 |
Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents (2024)
Gabrovo ranks 9 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Plovdiv | 73 |
| 7 | Dobrich | 72 |
| 8 | Haskovo | 70 |
| 9 | Gabrovo | 69 |
| 10 | Kyustendil | 69 |
| 11 | Ruse | 68 |
| 12 | Yambol | 62 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Gabrovo ranks 4 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stara Zagora | 65.5% |
| 2 | Vratsa | 55.2% |
| 3 | Sofia | 49.2% |
| 4 | Gabrovo | 36.1% |
| 5 | Kardzhali | 30.5% |
| 6 | Pazardzhik | 29.7% |
| 7 | Plovdiv | 26.3% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Gabrovo ranks 25 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Kardzhali | 15.2% |
| 23 | Plovdiv | 15.1% |
| 24 | Targovishte | 14.0% |
| 25 | Gabrovo | 13.9% |
| 26 | Sofia | 12.6% |
| 27 | Vratsa | 10.2% |
| 28 | Stara Zagora | 8.0% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Gabrovo ranks 23 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Plovdiv | 21.8% |
| 21 | Targovishte | 21.5% |
| 22 | Burgas | 21.5% |
| 23 | Gabrovo | 21.4% |
| 24 | Varna | 20.3% |
| 25 | Vratsa | 17.7% |
| 26 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 14.7% |
More on Gabrovo: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government and politics · Severen tsentralen · Bulgaria
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment, thousand people (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 664e4e3a6dc0…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
- National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI): Regions, districts and municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria 2024 (yearbook tables by statistical region, district and municipality), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 81cba27bb0cc…)
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