Economy, jobs and prices in Pazardzhik (Yuzhen tsentralen, Bulgaria): official figures
GDP per person was 14,700 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 37% of the EU average (66% for Bulgaria); 21st highest of 28 provinces in Bulgaria.
How big is the economy of Pazardzhik?
The local economy produced €2.0 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Pazardzhik?
About 96,380 people worked in Pazardzhik in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Pazardzhik district?
Employees in Pazardzhik district earned an average of 21,392 leva in 2024 (about 1,783 leva a month), 77% of the national average of 27,898 leva and 14th lowest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhich jobs pay most in Pazardzhik district?
In Pazardzhik the best-paid sector in 2024 was electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply at 28,981 leva a year, and the lowest-paid was transportation and storage at 14,353 leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the GDP per capita of Pazardzhik district?
Gross domestic product per person in Pazardzhik was 17,718 leva in 2024, 56% of the national figure; industry produced 32.8% of its gross value added and services 60.7%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow much foreign investment does Pazardzhik district have?
Foreign direct investment in non-financial enterprises in Pazardzhik stood at 647 million euro at the end of 2024, or 2,896 euro per resident, 11th highest of 28 districts (national average 5,267 euro).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many companies are there in Pazardzhik district?
There were 12,152 non-financial enterprises in Pazardzhik in 2024 (54 per 1,000 residents, national 73), employing 56,578 people and reporting net sales of 8,408 million leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Pazardzhik district?
Labour offices in Pazardzhik district had 7,495 registered unemployed people on average in 2024, a registered unemployment level of 7.8% against 5.2% nationally, 13th highest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many hotels are there in Pazardzhik district?
Pazardzhik district had 128 accommodation establishments with 8,271 bed-places in 2024, and they welcomed 449,686 overnight visitors.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Pazardzhik?
The largest part of the economy of Pazardzhik in 2024 was industry (manufacturing, mining and energy), at 29.7% of gross value added, followed by public administration, education, health and other services (24.2%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Pazardzhik?
Factories, mines and energy produced 29.7% of the value added in Pazardzhik in 2024, against 19.4% for Bulgaria.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Pazardzhik growing?
Gross value added rose from €0.9 billion in 2015 to €1.8 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 87% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Pazardzhik?
Of the 96,380 jobs located in Pazardzhik in 2023, 20% in public services, education, health and other services, 27% in industry and 21.2% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Pazardzhik?
The number of people working in Pazardzhik fell by 17.2% between 2015 and 2023, to 96,380.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Pazardzhik district had an average of 60,704 employees on labour or civil-service contracts in 2024; 30.2% 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 Pazardzhik rose from 10,786 leva in 2019 to 17,718 leva in 2024, a gain of 64% (Bulgaria: 76%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Businesses and public bodies in Pazardzhik spent 893 million leva on acquiring tangible fixed assets in 2024, 3,996 leva per resident against 5,793 leva nationally; the private sector accounted for 90%. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Of the registered unemployed in Pazardzhik in 2024, 12.0% were aged 29 or under and 27.9% 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 Pazardzhik earned 96.8 million leva from 1,100,960 nights spent in 2024, about 88 leva per night against 87 leva across Bulgaria. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Pazardzhik compares with other provinces in Bulgaria
Registered unemployment level (%) (2024)
Pazardzhik ranks 13 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Kardzhali | 9.2% |
| 11 | Smolyan | 8.5% |
| 12 | Pleven | 7.8% |
| 13 | Pazardzhik | 7.8% |
| 14 | Kyustendil | 7.2% |
| 15 | Sliven | 7.0% |
| 16 | Haskovo | 6.6% |
Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) (2024)
Pazardzhik ranks 6 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Sofia | 93 |
| 4 | Dobrich | 92 |
| 5 | Varna | 92 |
| 6 | Pazardzhik | 88 |
| 7 | Burgas | 84 |
| 8 | Lovech | 81 |
| 9 | Kyustendil | 78 |
Average annual wage of employees (leva) (2024)
Pazardzhik ranks 15 of 28, highest first. Employees under labour and civil-service contracts
| Rank | Area | Average annual wage of employees (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Burgas | 21,644 |
| 13 | Pernik | 21,641 |
| 14 | Veliko Tarnovo | 21,565 |
| 15 | Pazardzhik | 21,392 |
| 16 | Targovishte | 21,158 |
| 17 | Yambol | 21,133 |
| 18 | Dobrich | 20,840 |
Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) (2024)
Pazardzhik ranks 11 of 28, highest first. Stock in non-financial enterprises at 31 December 2024
| Rank | Area | Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Stara Zagora | 3,152 |
| 9 | Ruse | 3,142 |
| 10 | Targovishte | 2,943 |
| 11 | Pazardzhik | 2,896 |
| 12 | Pernik | 2,443 |
| 13 | Blagoevgrad | 2,351 |
| 14 | Dobrich | 2,320 |
Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents (2024)
Pazardzhik ranks 22 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Lovech | 56 |
| 20 | Shumen | 55 |
| 21 | Targovishte | 54 |
| 22 | Pazardzhik | 54 |
| 23 | Razgrad | 53 |
| 24 | Pleven | 52 |
| 25 | Vidin | 48 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Pazardzhik ranks 6 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Sofia | 49.2% |
| 4 | Gabrovo | 36.1% |
| 5 | Kardzhali | 30.5% |
| 6 | Pazardzhik | 29.7% |
| 7 | Plovdiv | 26.3% |
| 8 | Smolyan | 24.2% |
| 9 | Pleven | 23.8% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Pazardzhik ranks 20 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Ruse | 16.3% |
| 18 | Pleven | 16.1% |
| 19 | Veliko Tarnovo | 16.0% |
| 20 | Pazardzhik | 15.6% |
| 21 | Razgrad | 15.4% |
| 22 | Kardzhali | 15.2% |
| 23 | Plovdiv | 15.1% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Pazardzhik ranks 14 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Shumen | 26.7% |
| 12 | Kyustendil | 26.2% |
| 13 | Blagoevgrad | 25.9% |
| 14 | Pazardzhik | 24.2% |
| 15 | Dobrich | 24.0% |
| 16 | Kardzhali | 23.7% |
| 17 | Yambol | 23.1% |
More on Pazardzhik: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government and politics · Yuzhen tsentralen · 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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