From Mines to Markets: Bulgaria's Top-Earning Municipalities Revealed

The Institute for Market Economics (IME) presented its fifth annual initiative with a map showcasing average salaries by municipalities throughout the country in 2022. This map provides a valuable perspective on the country's economy, revealing how successful examples of development are not limited to major cities but are also observed in smaller industrial municipalities.

The data shows that the highest average salary in Bulgaria for 2022 is in the municipality of Chelopech, where employees receive 3,398 BGN per month. In second place is the municipality of Kozloduy with an average wage of 2,949 BGN, while surprisingly in third place is the municipality of Knezha (2,813 BGN). The top three positions are occupied by municipalities where companies in the mining, energy, agriculture, and oilseed processing sectors prevail. The forth place is for Sofia (2,475 BGN), followed by the municipalities of Radnevo (2,450 BGN), Pirdop (2,440 BGN), and Galabovo (2,260 BGN). The top 10 is completed by the municipalities of Devnya (2,156 BGN), Panagyurishte (2,050 BGN), and Bozhurishte (1,925 BGN).

It is noticeable that the highest salaries are paid in small municipalities where large companies dominate, constituting a significant portion of the area's income.

The top 10 is dominated by municipalities from the region of Sredna Gora, which have a strong mining industry and associated processing sectors, as well as municipalities that host the largest energy companies in the country.

It's interesting that the municipality of Knezha managed to enter the top 10, thanks to its developed grain production and the presence of the largest sunflower oil producer in the country. These economic activities contribute to strong financial results in 2022.

Among the major regional centers, the highest average salaries are in the Sofia municipality (2,475 BGN), followed by Varna (1,642 BGN) and Plovdiv (1,584 BGN).

The strong performance of industrial municipalities in the vicinity of the three main economic centers is noticeable. In the top 25 for salaries in the country, the municipalities of Bozhurishte, Elin Pelin, Kostinbrod, and Botevgrad from the outskirts of Sofia are included, the municipalities of Devnya and Beloslav near Varna, and the municipalities of Maritsa and Kuklen near Plovdiv.

The positive trends of recent years have led to an increase in the average salary in every municipality in the country between 2018 and 2022. In the majority of municipalities, the growth is between 40% and 70% for this period. In municipalities with major economic centers like Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna, salaries have increased by more than 50%. Additionally, a significant growth is observed in municipalities that were not previously in the leading group but have attracted new investments or seen expansions in their business activities, significantly improving their results in recent years. This is the case with municipalities like Knezha, Breznik, and Kuklen. In the Krumovgrad area, an increase in remuneration is also noticeable.

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