Economy, jobs and prices in Pleven (Severozapaden, Bulgaria): official figures
GDP per person was 15,900 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 40% of the EU average (66% for Bulgaria); 13th highest of 28 provinces in Bulgaria.
How big is the economy of Pleven?
The local economy produced €2.1 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Pleven?
About 96,380 people worked in Pleven in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Pleven district?
Employees in Pleven district earned an average of 21,930 leva in 2024 (about 1,828 leva a month), 79% of the national average of 27,898 leva and 10th highest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhich jobs pay most in Pleven district?
In Pleven the best-paid sector in 2024 was electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply at 33,348 leva a year, and the lowest-paid was administrative and support service activities at 12,500 leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the GDP per capita of Pleven district?
Gross domestic product per person in Pleven was 19,198 leva in 2024, 60% of the national figure; industry produced 26.7% of its gross value added and services 68.0%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow much foreign investment does Pleven district have?
Foreign direct investment in non-financial enterprises in Pleven stood at 260 million euro at the end of 2024, or 1,205 euro per resident, 9th lowest of 28 districts (national average 5,267 euro).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many companies are there in Pleven district?
There were 11,242 non-financial enterprises in Pleven in 2024 (52 per 1,000 residents, national 73), employing 51,480 people and reporting net sales of 7,581 million leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Pleven district?
The registered unemployment level in Pleven district averaged 7.8% in 2024 (6,960 people on the labour office register), 12th highest of 28 districts; the national level was 5.2%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many hotels are there in Pleven district?
Pleven district had 34 accommodation establishments with 1,834 bed-places in 2024, and they welcomed 73,145 overnight visitors.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Pleven?
The largest part of the economy of Pleven in 2024 was public administration, education, health and other services, at 33.1% of gross value added, followed by industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (23.8%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Pleven?
Industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) made up 23.8% of output in 2024, against 19.4% for Bulgaria.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Pleven growing?
Gross value added rose from €0.8 billion in 2015 to €1.9 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 136% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Pleven?
Of the 96,380 jobs located in Pleven in 2023, 29% in public services, education, health and other services, 21% in industry and 20.3% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Pleven?
The number of people working in Pleven fell by 5.6% between 2015 and 2023, to 96,380.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Pleven district had an average of 60,424 employees on labour or civil-service contracts in 2024; 22.8% 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 Pleven rose from 10,038 leva in 2019 to 19,198 leva in 2024, a gain of 91% (Bulgaria: 76%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Businesses and public bodies in Pleven spent 579 million leva on acquiring tangible fixed assets in 2024, 2,691 leva per resident against 5,793 leva nationally; the private sector accounted for 89%. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Of the registered unemployed in Pleven in 2024, 14.2% were aged 29 or under and 21.4% 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 Pleven earned 7.8 million leva from 137,221 nights spent in 2024, about 57 leva per night against 87 leva across Bulgaria. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Pleven compares with other provinces in Bulgaria
Registered unemployment level (%) (2024)
Pleven ranks 12 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Blagoevgrad | 9.2% |
| 10 | Kardzhali | 9.2% |
| 11 | Smolyan | 8.5% |
| 12 | Pleven | 7.8% |
| 13 | Pazardzhik | 7.8% |
| 14 | Kyustendil | 7.2% |
| 15 | Sliven | 7.0% |
Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) (2024)
Pleven ranks 25 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)
Pleven ranks 10 of 28, highest first. Employees under labour and civil-service contracts
| Rank | Area | Average annual wage of employees (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Ruse | 22,490 |
| 8 | Gabrovo | 22,267 |
| 9 | Shumen | 22,095 |
| 10 | Pleven | 21,930 |
| 11 | Razgrad | 21,765 |
| 12 | Burgas | 21,644 |
| 13 | Pernik | 21,641 |
Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) (2024)
Pleven ranks 20 of 28, highest first. Stock in non-financial enterprises at 31 December 2024
| Rank | Area | Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Veliko Tarnovo | 1,604 |
| 18 | Shumen | 1,586 |
| 19 | Vratsa | 1,216 |
| 20 | Pleven | 1,205 |
| 21 | Sliven | 999 |
| 22 | Smolyan | 937 |
| 23 | Haskovo | 780 |
Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents (2024)
Pleven ranks 24 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Targovishte | 54 |
| 22 | Pazardzhik | 54 |
| 23 | Razgrad | 53 |
| 24 | Pleven | 52 |
| 25 | Vidin | 48 |
| 26 | Kardzhali | 48 |
| 27 | Montana | 47 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Pleven ranks 9 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Pazardzhik | 29.7% |
| 7 | Plovdiv | 26.3% |
| 8 | Smolyan | 24.2% |
| 9 | Pleven | 23.8% |
| 10 | Lovech | 23.5% |
| 11 | Pernik | 23.4% |
| 12 | Yambol | 21.5% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Pleven ranks 18 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 21 | Razgrad | 15.4% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Pleven ranks 2 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 Pleven: 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…)
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