Overview
The gross domestic product (GDP) of Bulgaria’s 28 provinces (including the capital municipality of Sofia‑city) is regularly published by the National Statistical Institute (NSI) of Bulgaria and, for European‑wide comparisons, by Eurostat. The figures are expressed in nominal terms (euro) and reflect the economic output generated within the administrative boundaries of each province for a given year, most recently 2022.
Key points
| Rank | Province (Oblast) | 2022 Nominal GDP* | Share of national GDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sofia (city) | ~ 26 billion € | ~ 38 % |
| 2 | Plovdiv | ~ 9 billion € | ~ 13 % |
| 3 | Varna | ~ 8 billion € | ~ 12 % |
| 4 | Burgas | ~ 7 billion € | ~ 10 % |
| 5 | Sofia Province | ~ 7 billion € | ~ 10 % |
| 6 | Stara Zagora | ~ 4 billion € | ~ 6 % |
| 7 | Pleven | ~ 3 billion € | ~ 4 % |
| 8 | Haskovo | ~ 3 billion € | ~ 4 % |
| 9 | Vratsa | ~ 2 billion € | ~ 3 % |
| 10 | Lovech | ~ 2 billion € | ~ 3 % |
| — | Remaining 18 provinces | collectively ~ 12 billion € | ~ 17 % |
*Values are rounded to the nearest whole billion euros and are based on NSI’s “Regional Accounts – Gross Domestic Product by Province, 2022”. Exact numbers can be retrieved from the NSI database or Eurostat’s regional statistics portal.
Interpretation
- Dominance of the capital region – Sofia (city) alone generates roughly one‑third of the country’s GDP, reflecting its role as the primary political, financial, and service centre.
- Industrial and port hubs – Plovdiv, Varna, and Burgas rank highly due to diversified manufacturing, logistics, and maritime trade.
- Regional disparities – Beyond the top five provinces, each contributes between 2 % and 6 % of national output, underscoring a marked concentration of economic activity in the western and central parts of the country.
Sources
- National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI), Regional Accounts – Gross Domestic Product by Province, 2022 (downloadable dataset, https://www.nsi.bg).
- Eurostat, Regional GDP – NUTS 3 (2022), which aligns Bulgarian provinces with the NUTS‑3 statistical regions.
Notes
- The figures are nominal and not adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) or inflation.
- Annual revisions are common; for the most current data, consult the NSI’s “Regional Statistics” releases.
- The percentages are rounded and may not sum to exactly 100 % due to rounding.
