Plovdiv and the region are first in terms of growth of added value for the period 2012-2021 with 113,4%, according to Institute of Market Economy’s report Economic Centers of Bulgaria – 2023.
According to data from the Nationals Statistics Institute, the Plovdiv-Maritsa-Rakovski economic center saw over BGN 20 billion in output, or BGN 36.4 thousand per person (the data is for 2021), which makes the region the second largest among the 16 economic centers identified in the report.
The rapid development of the three cores Plovdiv-Maritsa-Rakovski is mainly due to the highly developed manufacturing sector in the periphery (especially the Trakia Economic Zone) and the service sector, which is located in the Municipality of Plovdiv. According to the statistics of the IME, the amount of FDI with accumulation for 2021 reached EUR 1.89 billion, with 75% in Plovdiv, 14% in Maritsa, and 6.1% in Rakovski. The manufacturing sector contributed for 67% of the FDI. It is also the sector with largest CapEx – nearly BGN 800 million or 36% of the total.
Another of the main indicators in the IME study shows that the region sees a steady and sustainable increase in the population, as well as relatively slow aging processes.
