Economy, jobs and prices in Shumen (Severoiztochen, Bulgaria): official figures
GDP per person was 15,000 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 38% of the EU average (66% for Bulgaria); 15th highest of 28 provinces in Bulgaria.
How big is the economy of Shumen?
The local economy produced €1.4 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Shumen?
About 72,790 people worked in Shumen in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Shumen district?
Employees in Shumen district earned an average of 22,095 leva in 2024 (about 1,841 leva a month), 79% of the national average of 27,898 leva and 9th highest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhich jobs pay most in Shumen district?
In Shumen the best-paid sector in 2024 was financial and insurance activities at 40,647 leva a year, and the lowest-paid was accommodation and food service activities at 13,064 leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the GDP per capita of Shumen district?
Gross domestic product per person in Shumen was 18,103 leva in 2024, 57% of the national figure; industry produced 26.6% of its gross value added and services 64.2%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow much foreign investment does Shumen district have?
Foreign direct investment in non-financial enterprises in Shumen stood at 237 million euro at the end of 2024, or 1,586 euro per resident, 11th lowest of 28 districts (national average 5,267 euro).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many companies are there in Shumen district?
There were 8,232 non-financial enterprises in Shumen in 2024 (55 per 1,000 residents, national 73), employing 39,575 people and reporting net sales of 6,480 million leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Shumen district?
Labour offices in Shumen district had 6,446 registered unemployed people on average in 2024, a registered unemployment level of 10.2% against 5.2% nationally, 5th highest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many hotels are there in Shumen district?
Shumen district had 86 accommodation establishments with 1,907 bed-places in 2024, and they welcomed 51,568 overnight visitors.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Shumen?
The largest part of the economy of Shumen in 2024 was public administration, education, health and other services, at 26.7% of gross value added, followed by industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (21.0%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Shumen?
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 Shumen growing?
Gross value added rose from €0.6 billion in 2015 to €1.2 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 103% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Shumen?
Of the 72,790 jobs located in Shumen in 2023, 21% in public services, education, health and other services, 23% in industry and 26.1% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Shumen?
The number of people working in Shumen fell by 6.8% between 2015 and 2023, to 72,790.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Shumen district had an average of 42,710 employees on labour or civil-service contracts in 2024; 29.2% 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 Shumen rose from 11,192 leva in 2019 to 18,103 leva in 2024, a gain of 62% (Bulgaria: 76%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Businesses and public bodies in Shumen spent 580 million leva on acquiring tangible fixed assets in 2024, 3,884 leva per resident against 5,793 leva nationally; the private sector accounted for 91%. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Of the registered unemployed in Shumen in 2024, 10.9% were aged 29 or under and 33.3% 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 Shumen earned 5.2 million leva from 84,000 nights spent in 2024, about 62 leva per night against 87 leva across Bulgaria. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Shumen compares with other provinces in Bulgaria
Registered unemployment level (%) (2024)
Shumen ranks 5 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Vidin | 13.7% |
| 3 | Silistra | 11.1% |
| 4 | Montana | 11.1% |
| 5 | Shumen | 10.2% |
| 6 | Razgrad | 9.7% |
| 7 | Vratsa | 9.7% |
| 8 | Targovishte | 9.3% |
Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) (2024)
Shumen ranks 21 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Kardzhali | 65 |
| 19 | Yambol | 63 |
| 20 | Veliko Tarnovo | 62 |
| 21 | Shumen | 62 |
| 22 | Vidin | 60 |
| 23 | Silistra | 59 |
| 24 | Pernik | 58 |
Average annual wage of employees (leva) (2024)
Shumen ranks 9 of 28, highest first. Employees under labour and civil-service contracts
| Rank | Area | Average annual wage of employees (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Plovdiv | 23,473 |
| 7 | Ruse | 22,490 |
| 8 | Gabrovo | 22,267 |
| 9 | Shumen | 22,095 |
| 10 | Pleven | 21,930 |
| 11 | Razgrad | 21,765 |
| 12 | Burgas | 21,644 |
Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) (2024)
Shumen ranks 18 of 28, highest first. Stock in non-financial enterprises at 31 December 2024
| Rank | Area | Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Kardzhali | 2,147 |
| 16 | Lovech | 1,880 |
| 17 | Veliko Tarnovo | 1,604 |
| 18 | Shumen | 1,586 |
| 19 | Vratsa | 1,216 |
| 20 | Pleven | 1,205 |
| 21 | Sliven | 999 |
Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents (2024)
Shumen ranks 20 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Sliven | 57 |
| 18 | Sofia | 56 |
| 19 | Lovech | 56 |
| 20 | Shumen | 55 |
| 21 | Targovishte | 54 |
| 22 | Pazardzhik | 54 |
| 23 | Razgrad | 53 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Shumen ranks 14 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Pernik | 23.4% |
| 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% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Shumen ranks 11 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Pernik | 20.2% |
| 9 | Montana | 19.4% |
| 10 | Burgas | 18.9% |
| 11 | Shumen | 18.1% |
| 12 | Lovech | 18.1% |
| 13 | Silistra | 17.7% |
| 14 | Dobrich | 17.4% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Shumen ranks 11 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Veliko Tarnovo | 27.8% |
| 9 | Haskovo | 27.1% |
| 10 | Smolyan | 26.8% |
| 11 | Shumen | 26.7% |
| 12 | Kyustendil | 26.2% |
| 13 | Blagoevgrad | 25.9% |
| 14 | Pazardzhik | 24.2% |
More on Shumen: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government and politics · Severoiztochen · 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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