Industrial Municipalities Once Again Lead the Country in Salaries
IME Launches the Fifth Year of the Initiative “265 Stories About the Economy”
Press Release, February 7, 2024
The Institute for Market Economics (IME) proudly announces the fifth year of its initiative, “265 Stories About the Economy.” Supported by leading Bulgarian companies, this project focuses on disseminating, visualizing, and analyzing municipal-level data through the platform www.265obshtini.bg. The initiative aims to deepen understanding of the development of Bulgaria’s 265 municipalities. It has garnered significant attention for its interactive maps and unique, consistent provision of data, analyses, and commentary on municipal progress, all based on official sources.
Where Are the Highest Salaries in Bulgaria?
IME marks the start of the fifth year of the initiative with a salary map for municipalities in 2022. The data presents the average gross monthly salary of employees in both the private and public sectors across Bulgaria’s 265 municipalities. This map offers a new perspective on the country’s economy, highlighting examples of successful development in both major economic centers and smaller industrial municipalities. IME also released a five-year data series (2018–2022), enabling an analysis of salary trends over time.
The highest average gross monthly salary in 2022 was recorded in the municipality of Chelopech (3,398 BGN). Second place went to Kozloduy (2,949 BGN), and third to the surprising entry of Knezha (2,813 BGN). These top-ranked municipalities host leading companies in the extractive industry, energy, agriculture, and oilseed processing. Sofia Municipality ranked fourth (2,475 BGN), followed by Radnevo (2,450 BGN), Pirdop (2,440 BGN), and Galabovo (2,260 BGN). The top 10 is rounded out by Devnya (2,156 BGN), Panagyurishte (2,050 BGN), and Bozhurishte (1,925 BGN).
For yet another year, the data reveals that the highest wages are found in small municipalities where large companies operate, contributing significantly to the area’s labor income. Many of these municipalities, particularly those in the Srednogorie region, benefit from robust mining and processing industries. The presence of Kneja in the top three is notable, driven by its advanced grain production and Bulgaria’s largest sunflower oil producer, which achieved excellent financial results in 2022.
Among major regional centers, Sofia Municipality leads with an average salary of 2,475 BGN (4th nationally), followed by Varna Municipality (1,642 BGN, 17th place) and Plovdiv Municipality (1,584 BGN, 22nd place). Industrial municipalities on the periphery of these hubs also performed well:
- Near Sofia: Bozhurishte, Elin Pelin, Kostinbrod, and Botevgrad
- Near Varna: Devnya and Beloslav
- Near Plovdiv: Maritsa and Kuklen
Between 2018 and 2022, average salaries grew in every municipality in Bulgaria. In 215 municipalities, the increase ranged from 40% to 70%. Large municipalities such as Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna experienced salary growth exceeding 50% over the same period. Notably, smaller municipalities like Knezha, Breznik, and Kuklen saw the highest growth rates, driven by new investments or the expansion of existing businesses. Significant growth was also observed in Krumovgrad, underscoring the positive impact of targeted economic activities.
What’s Next for “265 Stories About the Economy”?
In its fifth year, the initiative will continue publishing weekly insights into municipal-level economic and social indicators. With 2022 data from non-financial enterprises now available, IME has already published maps and analyses on the added value of companies and foreign direct investments. In the coming weeks, new indicators will be released, including data on sales revenue, production volumes, and investment activity. IME will also continue enriching the platform with updated maps and visualizations.
All maps are accessible on the initiative’s web page, and much of the data is available for free public use. IME extends its gratitude to the companies that have supported this initiative, including Asarel-Medet, Dundee Precious Metals Chelopech, Lidl Bulgaria, Vivacom Bulgaria, Coca-Cola HBC Bulgaria, and UBB.
[1] The initiative of IME “265 stories for the economy” is possible thanks to the exceptional support of leading companies in the country. The team of IPI expresses gratitude for the support of Asarel-Medet, Dundee Precious Metals Chelopech, Lidl Bulgaria, Vivacom Bulgaria, Coca-Cola HBC Bulgaria, and UBB.
[2] The NSI provided data for the number of employed persons and the average gross salary for 264 of the 265 municipalities in the country. The data for the employed and average salary in the municipality of Mirkovo is confidential according to the rules of statistical secrecy in the Statistics Act. The presence of a large employer in the extraction and processing of metals in the municipality of Mirkovo suggests that Mirkovo is also among the leaders (top 10) in salary in the country.
