Economy, jobs and prices in Silistra (Severen tsentralen, Bulgaria): official figures
GDP per person was 11,800 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 30% of the EU average (66% for Bulgaria); 27th highest of 28 provinces in Bulgaria.
How big is the economy of Silistra?
The local economy produced €687.37 million of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Silistra?
About 44,690 people worked in Silistra in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Silistra district?
The average annual wage in Silistra district was 19,471 leva in 2024, roughly 1,623 leva a month; that is 6th lowest of 28 districts and 70% of the Bulgarian average (27,898 leva).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhich jobs pay most in Silistra district?
In Silistra the best-paid sector in 2024 was electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply at 55,438 leva a year, and the lowest-paid was accommodation and food service activities at 11,564 leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the GDP per capita of Silistra district?
Gross domestic product per person in Silistra was 14,280 leva in 2024, 45% of the national figure; industry produced 13.9% of its gross value added and services 71.5%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow much foreign investment does Silistra district have?
Foreign direct investment in non-financial enterprises in Silistra stood at 43 million euro at the end of 2024, or 458 euro per resident, the lowest of 28 districts (national average 5,267 euro).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many companies are there in Silistra district?
There were 5,467 non-financial enterprises in Silistra in 2024 (58 per 1,000 residents, national 73), employing 18,262 people and reporting net sales of 2,893 million leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Silistra district?
The registered unemployment level in Silistra district averaged 11.1% in 2024 (3,946 people on the labour office register), 3rd highest of 28 districts; the national level was 5.2%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many hotels are there in Silistra district?
Silistra district had 28 accommodation establishments with 825 bed-places in 2024, and they welcomed 26,979 overnight visitors.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Silistra?
The largest part of the economy of Silistra in 2024 was public administration, education, health and other services, at 32.7% of gross value added, followed by trade, transport, hospitality and communications (21.1%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Silistra?
Factories, mines and energy produced 10.0% of the value added in Silistra in 2024, against 19.4% for Bulgaria.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Silistra growing?
Gross value added rose from €0.3 billion in 2015 to €0.6 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 99% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Silistra?
Of the 44,690 jobs located in Silistra in 2023, 19% in public services, education, health and other services, 13% in industry and 44.7% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Silistra?
The number of people working in Silistra fell by 2.4% between 2015 and 2023, to 44,690.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Silistra district had an average of 19,719 employees on labour or civil-service contracts in 2024; 17.4% 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 Silistra rose from 8,279 leva in 2019 to 14,280 leva in 2024, a gain of 72% (Bulgaria: 76%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Businesses and public bodies in Silistra spent 277 million leva on acquiring tangible fixed assets in 2024, 2,961 leva per resident against 5,793 leva nationally; the private sector accounted for 86%. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Of the registered unemployed in Silistra in 2024, 10.3% were aged 29 or under and 30.5% 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 Silistra earned 2.4 million leva from 40,428 nights spent in 2024, about 59 leva per night against 87 leva across Bulgaria. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Silistra compares with other provinces in Bulgaria
Registered unemployment level (%) (2024)
Silistra ranks 3 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lovech | 83.9% |
| 2 | Vidin | 13.7% |
| 3 | Silistra | 11.1% |
| 4 | Montana | 11.1% |
| 5 | Shumen | 10.2% |
| 6 | Razgrad | 9.7% |
| 7 | Vratsa | 9.7% |
Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) (2024)
Silistra ranks 23 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Veliko Tarnovo | 62 |
| 21 | Shumen | 62 |
| 22 | Vidin | 60 |
| 23 | Silistra | 59 |
| 24 | Pernik | 58 |
| 25 | Pleven | 57 |
| 26 | Gabrovo | 55 |
Average annual wage of employees (leva) (2024)
Silistra ranks 23 of 28, highest first. Employees under labour and civil-service contracts
| Rank | Area | Average annual wage of employees (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Lovech | 20,666 |
| 21 | Sliven | 20,526 |
| 22 | Kardzhali | 20,323 |
| 23 | Silistra | 19,471 |
| 24 | Vidin | 19,445 |
| 25 | Haskovo | 19,421 |
| 26 | Blagoevgrad | 19,037 |
Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) (2024)
Silistra ranks 28 of 28, highest first. Stock in non-financial enterprises at 31 December 2024
| Rank | Area | Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Smolyan | 937 |
| 23 | Haskovo | 780 |
| 24 | Vidin | 611 |
| 25 | Montana | 507 |
| 26 | Yambol | 463 |
| 27 | Kyustendil | 462 |
| 28 | Silistra | 458 |
Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents (2024)
Silistra ranks 16 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Pernik | 61 |
| 14 | Stara Zagora | 60 |
| 15 | Veliko Tarnovo | 59 |
| 16 | Silistra | 58 |
| 17 | Sliven | 57 |
| 18 | Sofia | 56 |
| 19 | Lovech | 56 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Silistra ranks 25 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Varna | 15.1% |
| 23 | Blagoevgrad | 14.8% |
| 24 | Haskovo | 13.2% |
| 25 | Silistra | 10.0% |
| 26 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 8.2% |
| 27 | Sliven | 7.6% |
| 28 | Vidin | 7.6% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Silistra ranks 13 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Burgas | 18.9% |
| 11 | Shumen | 18.1% |
| 12 | Lovech | 18.1% |
| 13 | Silistra | 17.7% |
| 14 | Dobrich | 17.4% |
| 15 | Smolyan | 17.2% |
| 16 | Blagoevgrad | 16.4% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Silistra ranks 3 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vidin | 35.3% |
| 2 | Pleven | 33.1% |
| 3 | Silistra | 32.7% |
| 4 | Sliven | 32.4% |
| 5 | Montana | 31.0% |
| 6 | Razgrad | 29.8% |
| 7 | Lovech | 29.4% |
More on Silistra: 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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