Economy, jobs and prices in Smolyan (Yuzhen tsentralen, Bulgaria): official figures
GDP per person was 15,400 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 39% of the EU average (66% for Bulgaria); 14th highest of 28 provinces in Bulgaria.
How big is the economy of Smolyan?
The local economy produced €870.35 million of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Smolyan?
About 51,330 people worked in Smolyan in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Smolyan district?
Employees in Smolyan district earned an average of 18,909 leva in 2024 (about 1,576 leva a month), 68% of the national average of 27,898 leva and the lowest of 28 districts.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhich jobs pay most in Smolyan district?
In Smolyan the best-paid sector in 2024 was electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply at 30,552 leva a year, and the lowest-paid was wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles at 13,054 leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the GDP per capita of Smolyan district?
Gross domestic product per person in Smolyan was 18,640 leva in 2024, 59% of the national figure; industry produced 31.2% of its gross value added and services 62.6%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow much foreign investment does Smolyan district have?
Foreign direct investment in non-financial enterprises in Smolyan stood at 85 million euro at the end of 2024, or 937 euro per resident, 7th lowest of 28 districts (national average 5,267 euro).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many companies are there in Smolyan district?
There were 6,853 non-financial enterprises in Smolyan in 2024 (76 per 1,000 residents, national 73), employing 31,275 people and reporting net sales of 3,145 million leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Smolyan district?
The registered unemployment level in Smolyan district averaged 8.5% in 2024 (3,543 people on the labour office register), 11th highest of 28 districts; the national level was 5.2%.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many hotels are there in Smolyan district?
Smolyan district had 288 accommodation establishments with 11,683 bed-places in 2024, and they welcomed 318,263 overnight visitors.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Smolyan?
The largest part of the economy of Smolyan in 2024 was public administration, education, health and other services, at 26.8% of gross value added, followed by industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (24.2%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Smolyan?
Factories, mines and energy produced 24.2% of the value added in Smolyan in 2024, against 19.4% for Bulgaria.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Smolyan growing?
Gross value added rose from €0.4 billion in 2015 to €0.8 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 73% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Smolyan?
Of the 51,330 jobs located in Smolyan in 2023, 21% in public services, education, health and other services, 32% in industry and 17.1% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Smolyan?
The number of people working in Smolyan rose by 3.5% between 2015 and 2023, to 51,330.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Smolyan district had an average of 31,323 employees on labour or civil-service contracts in 2024; 33.7% 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 Smolyan rose from 12,187 leva in 2019 to 18,640 leva in 2024, a gain of 53% (Bulgaria: 76%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Businesses and public bodies in Smolyan spent 354 million leva on acquiring tangible fixed assets in 2024, 3,915 leva per resident against 5,793 leva nationally; the private sector accounted for 67%. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Of the registered unemployed in Smolyan in 2024, 6.0% were aged 29 or under and 28.3% 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 Smolyan earned 54.7 million leva from 826,373 nights spent in 2024, about 66 leva per night against 87 leva across Bulgaria. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Smolyan compares with other provinces in Bulgaria
Registered unemployment level (%) (2024)
Smolyan ranks 11 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Targovishte | 9.3% |
| 9 | Blagoevgrad | 9.2% |
| 10 | Kardzhali | 9.2% |
| 11 | Smolyan | 8.5% |
| 12 | Pleven | 7.8% |
| 13 | Pazardzhik | 7.8% |
| 14 | Kyustendil | 7.2% |
Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) (2024)
Smolyan ranks 16 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Accommodation revenue per night spent (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Targovishte | 72 |
| 14 | Sliven | 69 |
| 15 | Ruse | 68 |
| 16 | Smolyan | 66 |
| 17 | Razgrad | 66 |
| 18 | Kardzhali | 65 |
| 19 | Yambol | 63 |
Average annual wage of employees (leva) (2024)
Smolyan ranks 28 of 28, highest first. Employees under labour and civil-service contracts
| Rank | Area | Average annual wage of employees (leva) |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Kardzhali | 20,323 |
| 23 | Silistra | 19,471 |
| 24 | Vidin | 19,445 |
| 25 | Haskovo | 19,421 |
| 26 | Blagoevgrad | 19,037 |
| 27 | Kyustendil | 18,976 |
| 28 | Smolyan | 18,909 |
Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) (2024)
Smolyan ranks 22 of 28, highest first. Stock in non-financial enterprises at 31 December 2024
| Rank | Area | Foreign direct investment per resident (euro) |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Vratsa | 1,216 |
| 20 | Pleven | 1,205 |
| 21 | Sliven | 999 |
| 22 | Smolyan | 937 |
| 23 | Haskovo | 780 |
| 24 | Vidin | 611 |
| 25 | Montana | 507 |
Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents (2024)
Smolyan ranks 5 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Non-financial enterprises per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Burgas | 86 |
| 3 | Blagoevgrad | 82 |
| 4 | Varna | 81 |
| 5 | Smolyan | 76 |
| 6 | Plovdiv | 73 |
| 7 | Dobrich | 72 |
| 8 | Haskovo | 70 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Smolyan ranks 8 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Kardzhali | 30.5% |
| 6 | Pazardzhik | 29.7% |
| 7 | Plovdiv | 26.3% |
| 8 | Smolyan | 24.2% |
| 9 | Pleven | 23.8% |
| 10 | Lovech | 23.5% |
| 11 | Pernik | 23.4% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Smolyan ranks 15 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Lovech | 18.1% |
| 13 | Silistra | 17.7% |
| 14 | Dobrich | 17.4% |
| 15 | Smolyan | 17.2% |
| 16 | Blagoevgrad | 16.4% |
| 17 | Ruse | 16.3% |
| 18 | Pleven | 16.1% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Smolyan ranks 10 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Lovech | 29.4% |
| 8 | Veliko Tarnovo | 27.8% |
| 9 | Haskovo | 27.1% |
| 10 | Smolyan | 26.8% |
| 11 | Shumen | 26.7% |
| 12 | Kyustendil | 26.2% |
| 13 | Blagoevgrad | 25.9% |
More on Smolyan: 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…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.