SOUTH-WEST BULGARIA

The South West Region of Bulgaria consists of five districts and is home to the national capital, Sofia. The region is inhabited by 2.1 million people which means more than one fourth of the total Bulgarian population. About 57% of the region’s inhabitants live in Sofia. Employment in the region produces 38% of Bulgaria’s GDP. South West Bulgaria is considered to be the most economically advanced Bulgarian region, but has the highest intra-regional disparities between Sofia and the rest of the region.

The main industrial sectors are metal production, electrical and optical devices, textile and clothing, paper and printing industries, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and food and tobacco processing. Industry employs in total 44% of the working population, whereas the service sector employs around 53%.