Kardzhali Province

The economy in figures

Source: Institute for Market Economics: Regional Profiles 2026, Kardzhali Province; WageCentre: Average salary in Bulgaria by province, second quarter of 2026 (NSI preliminary data); Employment Agency: Registered unemployment by province, August 2026; Eurostat: Gross domestic product by NUTS 3 region (nama_10r_3gdp)^1,2,3,4

IME says GDP per person in Kardzhali Province keeps rising and the value of production has grown significantly, but from a low base. Employment is up and unemployment down, though both remain relatively unfavourable. IME counts Kardzhali among the provinces with the weakest infrastructure, while its net migration is positive and among the highest in the country.¹

Industry and investment

IME names Teklas Bulgaria, a maker of rubber products for the car industry with almost 3,000 employees, the GORUBSO mining company and the hydraulic cylinder maker Kyashif among the few large companies that dominate the Kardzhali economic centre. Export revenue made up 33.33% of company sales in the province in 2024. The capital’s new solar module factory and other employers are covered in the Kardzhali city guide.^7,1

Teklas also has a production base in Krumovgrad, according to Bulgarian Wikipedia. Nearby, the Ada Tepe gold mine run by Dundee Precious Metals ended extraction: BNR reported in July 2026 that the mine, with 269 employees, would close permanently, with staged job cuts and some staff moving to the company’s Chelopech mine. DPM says production ended on 15 July 2026.^10,8,9

BNR adds that a USD 5 million fund set up by the company has supported nearly 90 local businesses, and that 95% of the mine area will return to the Natura 2000 network.⁸

Ardino has textile, machine-building and tobacco industries, and Momchilgrad has industrial zones with woodworking, metal and textile workshops, while its villages grow tobacco and peppers. The National Company Industrial Zones lists an industrial zone at Kardzhali under development.^11,12,14

Transport and borders

Momchilgrad, 13 km from Kardzhali, lies on the Kardzhali–Makaza road, 38 km from the Makaza–Nymfaia crossing into Greece. Motorways and first-class roads made up 11.2% of the province’s road network in 2025.^12,1

The Kardzhali Reservoir, about a kilometre west of the city, is the uppermost of the three large reservoirs of the Arda hydropower cascade and the second largest in Bulgaria by volume, after the Iskar.¹³

Municipalities and towns

Source: City Population, from NSI data: Bulgaria, provinces and municipalities⁵

The population of Kardzhali Province grew between the 2021 census and the end of 2025, in line with the positive migration noted by IME. Kirkovo and Krumovgrad are the largest municipalities after the capital.^5,1

Education and skills

26.4% of residents aged 25–64 had a university degree in 2025, and IME records 3.27 university students per 1,000 residents. The universities guide lists the options.¹

27.69% of residents were aged 65 or over in 2025.¹

Tourism and nature

• Perperikon
• Kardzhali Regional History Museum
• Devil’s Bridge, Ardino

Tourist accommodation recorded 926 nights per 1,000 residents in 2025, and forests cover 54.26% of the province.¹