Economy, jobs and prices in Sofia (Yugozapaden, Bulgaria): official figures
GDP per person was 20,800 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 52% of the EU average (66% for Bulgaria); 6th highest of 28 provinces in Bulgaria.
How big is the economy of Sofia?
The local economy produced €2.9 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Sofia?
About 97,620 people worked in Sofia in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Sofia Province?
Employees in Sofia Province earned an average of 25,190 leva in 2024 (about 2,099 leva a month), 90% of the national average of 27,898 leva and 3rd highest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhich jobs pay most in Sofia Province?
In Sofia Province the best-paid sector in 2024 was mining and quarrying at 41,712 leva a year, and the lowest-paid was other service activities at 14,343 leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the GDP per capita of Sofia Province?
Gross domestic product per person in Sofia Province was 25,131 leva in 2024, 79% of the national figure; industry produced 52.4% of its gross value added and services 44.0%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow much foreign investment does Sofia Province have?
Foreign direct investment in non-financial enterprises in Sofia Province stood at 2,528 million euro at the end of 2024, or 11,251 euro per resident, 2nd highest of 28 districts (national average 5,267 euro).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many companies are there in Sofia Province?
There were 12,607 non-financial enterprises in Sofia Province in 2024 (56 per 1,000 residents, national 73), employing 65,325 people and reporting net sales of 22,982 million leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Sofia Province?
Labour offices in Sofia Province had 4,000 registered unemployed people on average in 2024, a registered unemployment level of 4.0% against 5.2% nationally, 5th lowest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many hotels are there in Sofia Province?
Sofia Province had 114 accommodation establishments with 8,172 bed-places in 2024, and they welcomed 283,016 overnight visitors.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Sofia?
The largest part of the economy of Sofia in 2024 was industry (manufacturing, mining and energy), at 49.2% of gross value added, followed by trade, transport, hospitality and communications (19.0%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Sofia?
Factories, mines and energy produced 49.2% of the value added in Sofia in 2024, against 19.4% for Bulgaria.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Sofia growing?
Gross value added rose from €1.4 billion in 2015 to €2.5 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 80% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Sofia?
Of the 97,620 jobs located in Sofia in 2023, 15% in public services, education, health and other services, 29% in industry and 21.6% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Sofia?
The number of people working in Sofia rose by 4.0% between 2015 and 2023, to 97,620.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Sofia Province had an average of 64,979 employees on labour or civil-service contracts in 2024; 31.9% 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 Province rose from 14,747 leva in 2019 to 25,131 leva in 2024, a gain of 70% (Bulgaria: 76%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Businesses and public bodies in Sofia Province spent 1,576 million leva on acquiring tangible fixed assets in 2024, 7,013 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 Sofia Province in 2024, 13.3% were aged 29 or under and 13.7% 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 Province earned 66.1 million leva from 707,173 nights spent in 2024, about 93 leva per night against 87 leva across Bulgaria. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Sofia compares with other provinces in Bulgaria
Registered unemployment level (%) (2024)
Sofia ranks 24 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Yambol | 5.2% |
| 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% |
Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) (2024)
Sofia ranks 3 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 ranks 3 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 ranks 2 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 ranks 18 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Veliko Tarnovo | 59 |
| 16 | Silistra | 58 |
| 17 | Sliven | 57 |
| 18 | Sofia | 56 |
| 19 | Lovech | 56 |
| 20 | Shumen | 55 |
| 21 | Targovishte | 54 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Sofia ranks 3 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stara Zagora | 65.5% |
| 2 | Vratsa | 55.2% |
| 3 | Sofia | 49.2% |
| 4 | Gabrovo | 36.1% |
| 5 | Kardzhali | 30.5% |
| 6 | Pazardzhik | 29.7% |
| 7 | Plovdiv | 26.3% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Sofia ranks 26 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Kardzhali | 15.2% |
| 23 | Plovdiv | 15.1% |
| 24 | Targovishte | 14.0% |
| 25 | Gabrovo | 13.9% |
| 26 | Sofia | 12.6% |
| 27 | Vratsa | 10.2% |
| 28 | Stara Zagora | 8.0% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Sofia ranks 27 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: 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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