Economy, jobs and prices in Ruse (Severen tsentralen, Bulgaria): official figures
GDP per person was 18,800 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 47% of the EU average (66% for Bulgaria); 9th highest of 28 provinces in Bulgaria.
How big is the economy of Ruse?
The local economy produced €2.2 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Ruse?
About 97,090 people worked in Ruse in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Ruse district?
The average annual wage in Ruse district was 22,490 leva in 2024, roughly 1,874 leva a month; that is 7th highest of 28 districts and 81% of the Bulgarian average (27,898 leva).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhich jobs pay most in Ruse district?
In Ruse the best-paid sector in 2024 was information and communication at 31,140 leva a year, and the lowest-paid was accommodation and food service activities at 13,619 leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the GDP per capita of Ruse district?
Gross domestic product per person in Ruse was 22,695 leva in 2024, 71% of the national figure; industry produced 24.9% of its gross value added and services 70.3%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow much foreign investment does Ruse district have?
Foreign direct investment in non-financial enterprises in Ruse stood at 585 million euro at the end of 2024, or 3,142 euro per resident, 9th highest of 28 districts (national average 5,267 euro).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many companies are there in Ruse district?
There were 12,694 non-financial enterprises in Ruse in 2024 (68 per 1,000 residents, national 73), employing 60,913 people and reporting net sales of 14,857 million leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Ruse district?
The registered unemployment level in Ruse district averaged 5.6% in 2024 (4,653 people on the labour office register), 12th lowest of 28 districts; the national level was 5.2%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many hotels are there in Ruse district?
Ruse district had 70 accommodation establishments with 2,651 bed-places in 2024, and they welcomed 107,082 overnight visitors.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Ruse?
The largest part of the economy of Ruse in 2024 was trade, transport, hospitality and communications, at 31.3% of gross value added, followed by public administration, education, health and other services (22.7%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Ruse?
Industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) made up 21.0% of output in 2024, against 19.4% for Bulgaria.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Ruse growing?
Gross value added rose from €1.0 billion in 2015 to €1.9 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 90% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Ruse?
Of the 97,090 jobs located in Ruse in 2023, 21% in public services, education, health and other services, 28% in industry and 15.2% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Ruse?
The number of people working in Ruse fell by 3.8% between 2015 and 2023, to 97,090.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Ruse district had an average of 64,637 employees on labour or civil-service contracts in 2024; 30.0% 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 Ruse rose from 13,877 leva in 2019 to 22,695 leva in 2024, a gain of 64% (Bulgaria: 76%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Businesses and public bodies in Ruse spent 750 million leva on acquiring tangible fixed assets in 2024, 4,032 leva per resident against 5,793 leva nationally; the private sector accounted for 90%. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Of the registered unemployed in Ruse in 2024, 11.0% were aged 29 or under and 24.8% 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 Ruse earned 11.8 million leva from 173,093 nights spent in 2024, about 68 leva per night against 87 leva across Bulgaria. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Ruse compares with other provinces in Bulgaria
Registered unemployment level (%) (2024)
Ruse ranks 17 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Kyustendil | 7.2% |
| 15 | Sliven | 7.0% |
| 16 | Haskovo | 6.6% |
| 17 | Ruse | 5.6% |
| 18 | Burgas | 5.4% |
| 19 | Dobrich | 5.2% |
| 20 | Veliko Tarnovo | 5.2% |
Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) (2024)
Ruse ranks 15 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Haskovo | 74 |
| 13 | Targovishte | 72 |
| 14 | Sliven | 69 |
| 15 | Ruse | 68 |
| 16 | Smolyan | 66 |
| 17 | Razgrad | 66 |
| 18 | Kardzhali | 65 |
Average annual wage of employees (leva) (2024)
Ruse ranks 7 of 28, highest first. Employees under labour and civil-service contracts
| Rank | Area | Average annual wage of employees (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Vratsa | 25,052 |
| 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 |
Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) (2024)
Ruse ranks 9 of 28, highest first. Stock in non-financial enterprises at 31 December 2024
| Rank | Area | Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Varna | 3,767 |
| 7 | Razgrad | 3,191 |
| 8 | Stara Zagora | 3,152 |
| 9 | Ruse | 3,142 |
| 10 | Targovishte | 2,943 |
| 11 | Pazardzhik | 2,896 |
| 12 | Pernik | 2,443 |
Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents (2024)
Ruse ranks 11 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Haskovo | 70 |
| 9 | Gabrovo | 69 |
| 10 | Kyustendil | 69 |
| 11 | Ruse | 68 |
| 12 | Yambol | 62 |
| 13 | Pernik | 61 |
| 14 | Stara Zagora | 60 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Ruse ranks 15 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Yambol | 21.5% |
| 13 | Razgrad | 21.4% |
| 14 | Shumen | 21.0% |
| 15 | Ruse | 21.0% |
| 16 | Kyustendil | 20.5% |
| 17 | Veliko Tarnovo | 18.8% |
| 18 | Burgas | 18.2% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Ruse ranks 17 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Dobrich | 17.4% |
| 15 | Smolyan | 17.2% |
| 16 | Blagoevgrad | 16.4% |
| 17 | Ruse | 16.3% |
| 18 | Pleven | 16.1% |
| 19 | Veliko Tarnovo | 16.0% |
| 20 | Pazardzhik | 15.6% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Ruse ranks 18 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Dobrich | 24.0% |
| 16 | Kardzhali | 23.7% |
| 17 | Yambol | 23.1% |
| 18 | Ruse | 22.7% |
| 19 | Pernik | 22.7% |
| 20 | Plovdiv | 21.8% |
| 21 | Targovishte | 21.5% |
More on Ruse: 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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