In 2023, Bulgaria's GDP amounted to 185.233 billion leva. According to the previously announced calendar, a harmonized benchmark revision of the gross domestic product data was carried out in 2024, which covers GDP at the regional level for the period 2018 - 2022, the National Statistical Institute indicates.
The Southwestern region has the largest share (50.2%) in Bulgaria's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, while the Northwestern region has the lowest share (6.9%) in the country's GDP.
With the highest level of GDP per capita in 2023 is Sofia region (capital) - 61,833 BGN, compared to 28,733 BGN on average for the country, NSI data also show.
For the statistical area of Northern and Southeastern Bulgaria, GDP is 68.059 billion BGN, and in Southwestern and South-Central Bulgaria it is 117.174 billion BGN.
Meanwhile, Eurostat presented data for 2023, according to which real GDP increased in 154 EU regions compared to 2022, while a decline was registered in 85 regions, BNR specified.
The region with the greatest growth in real GDP in 2023 were Malta (the only region at this level of detail) - an increase of 6.7%, followed by the North Central region in Bulgaria (an increase of 5.8%).
In contrast, the lowest ranked region in terms of GDP per capita in 2023 was the South Central region in Bulgaria (41.3% of the EU average), excluding the French overseas territory - Mayotte (27.6% of the EU average), Eurostat data also shows. The Bulgarian region of Severozapaden is also in one of the last places in the EU in terms of this indicator, where GDP per capita was only 42.5% of the European average in 2023.