Bulgaria » Introduction

Basic Economic Facts

GDP Composition by Sector

Industry is of great importance for the economy. Although Bulgaria is not very rich in reserves of coal, oil, and gas, the country is a major producer of electricity and the most important exporter in the whole region due to the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant with a total capacity of 3,760 MW. A second plant, the Belene Nuclear Power Plant with a capacity of 2,000 MW is under construction. There is a $1,400,000,000 project for construction of an additional 670 MW for the 500 MW Maritza Iztok 1 TPP.

The production of steel and pig iron is concentrated in Kremikovtsi and Pernik. There is also a third metallurgical base in Debelt. In production of steel and steel products per capita the country is first in the Balkans. Ferrous metallurgy is very important. The largest refineries for lead and zinc are in Plovdiv (the biggest refinery between Italy and the Ural mountains), Kurdzhali and Novi Iskar; for copper in Pirdop and Eliseina; for aluminium in Shumen. In production of many metals per capita, Bulgaria is first in South Eastern Europe and among the first in Europe and the world.

About 14% of the total industrial production is related to machine building and 24% of the people are employed in this field. Its importance decreased since 1989 but is growing again now. Electronics and electrical equipment production is very well developed. The largest centres are Sofia, Plovdiv and the area around, Botevgrad, Stara Zagora, Varna and many others. These plants produce household appliances, computers, CDs, telephones, medical and scientific equipment. Many of the factories producing transportation equipment do not work with full capacity.

There are plants producing trains (Burgas, Dryanovo), trams (Sofia), trolleys (Dupnitsa), buses (Botevgrad), trucks (Shumen), motocars, automotive assembly plant in Lovech. The main centre of agricultural machinery is Ruse. Shipbuilding is concentrated in Varna, Burgas and Ruse. Arms production is mainly developed in central Bulgaria (Kazanlak, Sopot, Karlovo).