NUTS statistical regions of Bulgaria

The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) is a geocode standard for referencing the subdivisions of Bulgaria for statistical purposes.^[1] The standard is developed and regulated by the European Union.^[2] The NUTS standard is instrumental in delivering the European Union's Structural Funds. The NUTS code for Bulgaria is BG and a hierarchy of three levels is established by Eurostat. Below these are a further level of the geographic organisation - the local administrative unit (LAU). In Bulgaria, the LAU 1 is municipalities and the LAU 2 is settlements.

Overall

NUTS Levels

Level	Subdivisions	#
NUTS 1	Regions (Rayoni)	2
NUTS 2	Planning regions (Rayoni za planirane)	6
NUTS 3	Oblasts (Podregioni)	28

Local Administrative Units

Below the NUTS levels, the two LAU (Local Administrative Units) levels are:

Level	Subdivisions	#
LAU 1	Municipalities (Obshtini)	264
LAU 2	Settlements (Naseleni mesta)	5302

The LAU codes of Bulgaria can be downloaded here: [1]

NUTS codes

Current NUTS 2 regions of Bulgaria (six regions)

NUTS 1	Code	NUTS 2	Code	NUTS 3	Code
Northern and Eastern Bulgaria	BG3	Severozapaden (Northwestern)	BG31	Vidin Province	BG311
				Montana Province	BG312
				Vratsa Province	BG313
				Pleven Province	BG314
				Lovech Province	BG315
		Severen tsentralen (Northern Central)	BG32	Veliko Tarnovo Province	BG321
				Gabrovo Province	BG322
				Ruse Province	BG323
				Razgrad Province	BG324
				Silistra Province	BG325
		Severoiztochen (Northeastern)	BG33	Varna Province	BG331
				Dobrich Province	BG332
				Shumen Province	BG333
				Targovishte Province	BG334
		Yugoiztochen (Southeastern)	BG34	Burgas Province	BG341
				Sliven Province	BG342
				Yambol Province	BG343
				Stara Zagora Province	BG344
South-Western and South-Central Bulgaria	BG4	Yugozapaden (Southwestern)	BG41	Sofia City	BG411
				Sofia Province	BG412
				Blagoevgrad Province	BG413
				Pernik Province	BG414
				Kyustendil Province	BG415
		Yuzhen tsentralen (Southern Central)	BG42	Plovdiv Province	BG421
				Haskovo Province	BG422
				Pazardzhik Province	BG423
				Smolyan Province	BG424
				Kardzhali Province	BG425

In the 2003 version, the codes were as follows:

BG1 North Bulgaria

BG11 North West

BG111 Vidin

BG112 Montana

BG113 Vratsa

BG12 North Central

BG121 Pleven

BG122 Lovech

BG123 Veliko Tarnovo

BG124 Gabrovo

BG125 Ruse

BG13 North East

BG131 Varna

BG132 Dobrich

BG133 Shumen

BG134 Targovishte

BG135 Razgrad

BG136 Silistra

BG2 South Bulgaria

BG21 South West

BG211 Grad Sofiya

BG212 Sofiya

BG213 Blagoevgrad

BG214 Pernik

BG215 Kyustendil

BG22 South Central

BG221 Plovdiv

BG222 Stara Zagora

BG223 Haskovo

BG224 Pazardzhik

BG225 Smolyan

BG226 Kardzhali

BG23 South East

BG231 Burgas

BG232 Sliven

BG233 Yambol

NUTS 2 regions redrawing

Some of the present NUTS II regions of Bulgaria no longer meet the relevant technical requirements, mostly due to general population decline and increasing regional disproportion. A 2013 study by FLGR Consult commissioned by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works analyzed the state and trends of change in the characteristics of these regions to identify several options for the pending redrawing of the NUTS II map of the country. The process was restarted in 2017 with certain modified versions considered, and final decision due by the end of 2018.^[3]^[4] The relevant Regional Development (Amendment) Bill, released for public consultation by the Council of Ministers in October 2018, is based on a four-regions version chosen from the shortlist of three options developed by an inter-ministerial working group led by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works.^[5]

Proposal option 1
Proposal option 2 underlying the Regional Development (Amendment) Bill of October 2018
Proposal option 3
Proposal option 4
Proposal option 5