Economy, jobs and prices in Sofia (stolitsa) (Yugozapaden, Bulgaria): official figures
GDP per person was 57,300 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 144% of the EU average (66% for Bulgaria); the highest of 28 provinces in Bulgaria.
How big is the economy of Sofia (stolitsa)?
The local economy produced €45.7 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Sofia (stolitsa)?
About 991,080 people worked in Sofia (stolitsa) in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Sofia City?
Employees in Sofia City district earned an average of 38,728 leva in 2024 (about 3,227 leva a month), 139% of the national average of 27,898 leva and the highest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhich jobs pay most in Sofia City?
In Sofia City the best-paid sector in 2024 was information and communication at 68,972 leva a year, and the lowest-paid was agriculture, forestry and fishing at 20,405 leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the GDP per capita of Sofia City?
Gross domestic product per person in Sofia City was 69,259 leva in 2024, 218% of the national figure; industry produced 13.0% of its gross value added and services 86.9%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow much foreign investment does Sofia City have?
Foreign direct investment in non-financial enterprises in Sofia City stood at 18,269 million euro at the end of 2024, or 14,097 euro per resident, the highest of 28 districts (national average 5,267 euro).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many companies are there in Sofia City?
There were 134,051 non-financial enterprises in Sofia City in 2024 (103 per 1,000 residents, national 73), employing 787,075 people and reporting net sales of 250,071 million leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Sofia City?
Labour offices in Sofia City district had 10,958 registered unemployed people on average in 2024, a registered unemployment level of 1.7% against 5.2% nationally, the lowest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many hotels are there in Sofia City?
Sofia City district had 154 accommodation establishments with 15,701 bed-places in 2024, and they welcomed 1,185,345 overnight visitors.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Sofia (stolitsa)?
The largest part of the economy of Sofia (stolitsa) in 2024 was trade, transport, hospitality and communications, at 42.9% of gross value added, followed by finance, property and business services (29.3%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Sofia (stolitsa)?
Factories, mines and energy produced 8.2% of the value added in Sofia (stolitsa) in 2024, against 19.4% for Bulgaria.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Sofia (stolitsa) growing?
Gross value added rose from €15.7 billion in 2015 to €39.9 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 154% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Sofia (stolitsa)?
Of the 991,080 jobs located in Sofia (stolitsa) in 2023, 22% in public services, education, health and other services, 10% in industry and 0.7% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Sofia (stolitsa)?
The number of people working in Sofia (stolitsa) rose by 11.3% between 2015 and 2023, to 991,080.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Sofia City district had an average of 788,765 employees on labour or civil-service contracts in 2024; 7.0% 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 Sofia City rose from 40,813 leva in 2019 to 69,259 leva in 2024, a gain of 70% (Bulgaria: 76%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Businesses and public bodies in Sofia City spent 17,744 million leva on acquiring tangible fixed assets in 2024, 13,692 leva per resident against 5,793 leva nationally; the private sector accounted for 76%. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Of the registered unemployed in Sofia City in 2024, 10.8% were aged 29 or under and 2.0% 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 Sofia City earned 251 million leva from 2,267,902 nights spent in 2024, about 110 leva per night against 87 leva across Bulgaria. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Sofia (stolitsa) compares with other provinces in Bulgaria
Registered unemployment level (%) (2024)
Sofia (stolitsa) ranks 28 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Plovdiv | 4.0% |
| 23 | Stara Zagora | 4.0% |
| 24 | Sofia | 4.0% |
| 25 | Gabrovo | 3.9% |
| 26 | Pernik | 3.8% |
| 27 | Varna | 3.5% |
| 28 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 1.7% |
Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) (2024)
Sofia (stolitsa) ranks 1 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 110 |
| 2 | Blagoevgrad | 104 |
| 3 | Sofia | 93 |
| 4 | Dobrich | 92 |
| 5 | Varna | 92 |
| 6 | Pazardzhik | 88 |
| 7 | Burgas | 84 |
Average annual wage of employees (leva) (2024)
Sofia (stolitsa) ranks 1 of 28, highest first. Employees under labour and civil-service contracts
| Rank | Area | Average annual wage of employees (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 38,728 |
| 2 | Varna | 26,007 |
| 3 | Sofia | 25,190 |
| 4 | Vratsa | 25,052 |
| 5 | Stara Zagora | 24,731 |
| 6 | Plovdiv | 23,473 |
| 7 | Ruse | 22,490 |
Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) (2024)
Sofia (stolitsa) ranks 1 of 28, highest first. Stock in non-financial enterprises at 31 December 2024
| Rank | Area | Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 14,097 |
| 2 | Sofia | 11,251 |
| 3 | Burgas | 5,558 |
| 4 | Gabrovo | 5,193 |
| 5 | Plovdiv | 4,110 |
| 6 | Varna | 3,767 |
| 7 | Razgrad | 3,191 |
Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents (2024)
Sofia (stolitsa) ranks 1 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 103 |
| 2 | Burgas | 86 |
| 3 | Blagoevgrad | 82 |
| 4 | Varna | 81 |
| 5 | Smolyan | 76 |
| 6 | Plovdiv | 73 |
| 7 | Dobrich | 72 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Sofia (stolitsa) ranks 26 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)
Sofia (stolitsa) ranks 1 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 29.3% |
| 2 | Vidin | 23.7% |
| 3 | Sliven | 22.2% |
| 4 | Varna | 22.1% |
| 5 | Kyustendil | 21.7% |
| 6 | Yambol | 21.4% |
| 7 | Haskovo | 20.6% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Sofia (stolitsa) ranks 26 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Burgas | 21.5% |
| 23 | Gabrovo | 21.4% |
| 24 | Varna | 20.3% |
| 25 | Vratsa | 17.7% |
| 26 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 14.7% |
| 27 | Sofia | 12.4% |
| 28 | Stara Zagora | 10.9% |
More on Sofia (stolitsa): overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government and politics · Yugozapaden · 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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