Economy, jobs and prices in Plovdiv (Yuzhen tsentralen, Bulgaria): official figures
GDP per person was 21,300 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 53% of the EU average (66% for Bulgaria); 5th highest of 28 provinces in Bulgaria.
How big is the economy of Plovdiv?
The local economy produced €8.3 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Plovdiv?
About 339,180 people worked in Plovdiv in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Plovdiv district?
Employees in Plovdiv district earned an average of 23,473 leva in 2024 (about 1,956 leva a month), 84% of the national average of 27,898 leva and 6th highest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhich jobs pay most in Plovdiv district?
In Plovdiv the best-paid sector in 2024 was information and communication at 54,227 leva a year, and the lowest-paid was other service activities at 14,831 leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the GDP per capita of Plovdiv district?
Gross domestic product per person in Plovdiv was 25,701 leva in 2024, 81% of the national figure; industry produced 31.7% of its gross value added and services 66.1%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow much foreign investment does Plovdiv district have?
Foreign direct investment in non-financial enterprises in Plovdiv stood at 2,613 million euro at the end of 2024, or 4,110 euro per resident, 5th highest of 28 districts (national average 5,267 euro).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many companies are there in Plovdiv district?
There were 46,314 non-financial enterprises in Plovdiv in 2024 (73 per 1,000 residents, national 73), employing 225,398 people and reporting net sales of 46,884 million leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Plovdiv district?
Labour offices in Plovdiv district had 11,324 registered unemployed people on average in 2024, a registered unemployment level of 4.0% against 5.2% nationally, 7th lowest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many hotels are there in Plovdiv district?
Plovdiv district had 281 accommodation establishments with 13,494 bed-places in 2024, and they welcomed 680,826 overnight visitors.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Plovdiv?
The largest part of the economy of Plovdiv in 2024 was trade, transport, hospitality and communications, at 29.2% of gross value added, followed by industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (26.3%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Plovdiv?
Factories, mines and energy produced 26.3% of the value added in Plovdiv in 2024, against 19.4% for Bulgaria.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Plovdiv growing?
Gross value added rose from €3.0 billion in 2015 to €7.3 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 139% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Plovdiv?
Of the 339,180 jobs located in Plovdiv in 2023, 20% in public services, education, health and other services, 28% in industry and 13.2% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Plovdiv?
The number of people working in Plovdiv rose by 7.5% between 2015 and 2023, to 339,180.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Plovdiv district had an average of 230,534 employees on labour or civil-service contracts in 2024; 30.5% 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 Plovdiv rose from 15,170 leva in 2019 to 25,701 leva in 2024, a gain of 69% (Bulgaria: 76%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Businesses and public bodies in Plovdiv spent 3,270 million leva on acquiring tangible fixed assets in 2024, 5,144 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 Plovdiv in 2024, 12.1% were aged 29 or under and 13.6% 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 Plovdiv earned 106 million leva from 1,414,851 nights spent in 2024, about 75 leva per night against 87 leva across Bulgaria. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Plovdiv compares with other provinces in Bulgaria
Registered unemployment level (%) (2024)
Plovdiv ranks 22 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Dobrich | 5.2% |
| 20 | Veliko Tarnovo | 5.2% |
| 21 | Yambol | 5.2% |
| 22 | Plovdiv | 4.0% |
| 23 | Stara Zagora | 4.0% |
| 24 | Sofia | 4.0% |
| 25 | Gabrovo | 3.9% |
Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) (2024)
Plovdiv ranks 11 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Lovech | 81 |
| 9 | Kyustendil | 78 |
| 10 | Stara Zagora | 77 |
| 11 | Plovdiv | 75 |
| 12 | Haskovo | 74 |
| 13 | Targovishte | 72 |
| 14 | Sliven | 69 |
Average annual wage of employees (leva) (2024)
Plovdiv ranks 6 of 28, highest first. Employees under labour and civil-service contracts
| Rank | Area | Average annual wage of employees (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Sofia | 25,190 |
| 4 | Vratsa | 25,052 |
| 5 | Stara Zagora | 24,731 |
| 6 | Plovdiv | 23,473 |
| 7 | Ruse | 22,490 |
| 8 | Gabrovo | 22,267 |
| 9 | Shumen | 22,095 |
Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) (2024)
Plovdiv ranks 5 of 28, highest first. Stock in non-financial enterprises at 31 December 2024
| Rank | Area | Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Sofia | 11,251 |
| 3 | Burgas | 5,558 |
| 4 | Gabrovo | 5,193 |
| 5 | Plovdiv | 4,110 |
| 6 | Varna | 3,767 |
| 7 | Razgrad | 3,191 |
| 8 | Stara Zagora | 3,152 |
Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents (2024)
Plovdiv ranks 6 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Blagoevgrad | 82 |
| 4 | Varna | 81 |
| 5 | Smolyan | 76 |
| 6 | Plovdiv | 73 |
| 7 | Dobrich | 72 |
| 8 | Haskovo | 70 |
| 9 | Gabrovo | 69 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Plovdiv ranks 7 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Gabrovo | 36.1% |
| 5 | Kardzhali | 30.5% |
| 6 | Pazardzhik | 29.7% |
| 7 | Plovdiv | 26.3% |
| 8 | Smolyan | 24.2% |
| 9 | Pleven | 23.8% |
| 10 | Lovech | 23.5% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Plovdiv ranks 23 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Pazardzhik | 15.6% |
| 21 | Razgrad | 15.4% |
| 22 | Kardzhali | 15.2% |
| 23 | Plovdiv | 15.1% |
| 24 | Targovishte | 14.0% |
| 25 | Gabrovo | 13.9% |
| 26 | Sofia | 12.6% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Plovdiv ranks 20 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Yambol | 23.1% |
| 18 | Ruse | 22.7% |
| 19 | Pernik | 22.7% |
| 20 | Plovdiv | 21.8% |
| 21 | Targovishte | 21.5% |
| 22 | Burgas | 21.5% |
| 23 | Gabrovo | 21.4% |
More on Plovdiv: 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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