Economy, jobs and prices in Lovech (Severozapaden, Bulgaria): official figures
GDP per person was 14,900 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 37% of the EU average (66% for Bulgaria); 16th highest of 28 provinces in Bulgaria.
How big is the economy of Lovech?
The local economy produced €1.0 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Lovech?
About 46,630 people worked in Lovech in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Lovech district?
Employees in Lovech district earned an average of 20,666 leva in 2024 (about 1,722 leva a month), 74% of the national average of 27,898 leva and 9th lowest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhich jobs pay most in Lovech district?
In Lovech the best-paid sector in 2024 was information and communication at 33,745 leva a year, and the lowest-paid was accommodation and food service activities at 13,606 leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the GDP per capita of Lovech district?
Gross domestic product per person in Lovech was 17,948 leva in 2024, 56% of the national figure; industry produced 25.6% of its gross value added and services 67.8%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow much foreign investment does Lovech district have?
Foreign direct investment in non-financial enterprises in Lovech stood at 208 million euro at the end of 2024, or 1,880 euro per resident, 13th lowest of 28 districts (national average 5,267 euro).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many companies are there in Lovech district?
There were 6,179 non-financial enterprises in Lovech in 2024 (56 per 1,000 residents, national 73), employing 27,116 people and reporting net sales of 3,749 million leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Lovech district?
The registered unemployment level in Lovech district averaged 83.9% in 2024 (3,458 people on the labour office register), the highest of 28 districts; the national level was 5.2%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many hotels are there in Lovech district?
Lovech district had 123 accommodation establishments with 4,854 bed-places in 2024, and they welcomed 144,732 overnight visitors.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Lovech?
The largest part of the economy of Lovech in 2024 was public administration, education, health and other services, at 29.4% of gross value added, followed by industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (23.5%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Lovech?
Factories, mines and energy produced 23.5% of the value added in Lovech in 2024, against 19.4% for Bulgaria.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Lovech growing?
Gross value added rose from €0.5 billion in 2015 to €0.9 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 92% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Lovech?
Of the 46,630 jobs located in Lovech in 2023, 24% in public services, education, health and other services, 32% in industry and 15.7% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Lovech?
The number of people working in Lovech fell by 14.1% between 2015 and 2023, to 46,630.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Lovech district had an average of 30,823 employees on labour or civil-service contracts in 2024; 35.1% 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 Lovech rose from 10,741 leva in 2019 to 17,948 leva in 2024, a gain of 67% (Bulgaria: 76%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Businesses and public bodies in Lovech spent 277 million leva on acquiring tangible fixed assets in 2024, 2,501 leva per resident against 5,793 leva nationally; the private sector accounted for 92%. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Of the registered unemployed in Lovech in 2024, 11.0% were aged 29 or under and 30.9% 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 Lovech earned 23.9 million leva from 295,764 nights spent in 2024, about 81 leva per night against 87 leva across Bulgaria. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Lovech compares with other provinces in Bulgaria
Registered unemployment level (%) (2024)
Lovech ranks 1 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)
Lovech ranks 8 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Varna | 92 |
| 6 | Pazardzhik | 88 |
| 7 | Burgas | 84 |
| 8 | Lovech | 81 |
| 9 | Kyustendil | 78 |
| 10 | Stara Zagora | 77 |
| 11 | Plovdiv | 75 |
Average annual wage of employees (leva) (2024)
Lovech ranks 20 of 28, highest first. Employees under labour and civil-service contracts
| Rank | Area | Average annual wage of employees (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Yambol | 21,133 |
| 18 | Dobrich | 20,840 |
| 19 | Montana | 20,728 |
| 20 | Lovech | 20,666 |
| 21 | Sliven | 20,526 |
| 22 | Kardzhali | 20,323 |
| 23 | Silistra | 19,471 |
Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) (2024)
Lovech ranks 16 of 28, highest first. Stock in non-financial enterprises at 31 December 2024
| Rank | Area | Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Blagoevgrad | 2,351 |
| 14 | Dobrich | 2,320 |
| 15 | Kardzhali | 2,147 |
| 16 | Lovech | 1,880 |
| 17 | Veliko Tarnovo | 1,604 |
| 18 | Shumen | 1,586 |
| 19 | Vratsa | 1,216 |
Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents (2024)
Lovech ranks 19 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Silistra | 58 |
| 17 | Sliven | 57 |
| 18 | Sofia | 56 |
| 19 | Lovech | 56 |
| 20 | Shumen | 55 |
| 21 | Targovishte | 54 |
| 22 | Pazardzhik | 54 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Lovech ranks 10 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Plovdiv | 26.3% |
| 8 | Smolyan | 24.2% |
| 9 | Pleven | 23.8% |
| 10 | Lovech | 23.5% |
| 11 | Pernik | 23.4% |
| 12 | Yambol | 21.5% |
| 13 | Razgrad | 21.4% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Lovech ranks 12 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Montana | 19.4% |
| 10 | Burgas | 18.9% |
| 11 | Shumen | 18.1% |
| 12 | Lovech | 18.1% |
| 13 | Silistra | 17.7% |
| 14 | Dobrich | 17.4% |
| 15 | Smolyan | 17.2% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Lovech ranks 7 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Sliven | 32.4% |
| 5 | Montana | 31.0% |
| 6 | Razgrad | 29.8% |
| 7 | Lovech | 29.4% |
| 8 | Veliko Tarnovo | 27.8% |
| 9 | Haskovo | 27.1% |
| 10 | Smolyan | 26.8% |
More on Lovech: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government and politics · Severozapaden · 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…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.