Pernik Province

The economy in figures

Source: Institute for Market Economics: Regional Profiles 2026, Pernik 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 Pernik Province keeps rising, employment is growing and unemployment is falling. The road network is well developed, though the road surface is below average, and a large share of settlements are connected to public sewerage and treatment plants.¹

Industry and investment

English Wikipedia describes industry as vital to the province’s economy, with the Stomana steel complex, heavy machinery, building materials and textiles in Pernik. IME places Pernik in the Sofia–Pernik–Botevgrad economic centre, where the capital generates 92.5% of the value added and Pernik 1.6%.^6,7

Bulgarian Wikipedia lists the main companies in Radomir as Besttehnika, the former Chervena Mogila plant, Radomir Metali, Siminvest and the electrical engineering firm AK Electric. English Wikipedia adds that the heavy machinery plant in Radomir, which makes excavators and industrial equipment, is not working at full capacity.^8,6

Pernik’s industrial park and local investment certificates are covered in the Pernik city guide. Foreign investment in the province reached €2,430 per person by 2024.¹

Transport and borders

Pernik is 36 km by road from the centre of Sofia. The A3 Struma motorway and the E79 pass through the city, linking it with Greece and Romania, and road I-6 leads towards North Macedonia and Serbia.⁹

Tran is 15 km from the Serbian border. Motorways and first-class roads made up 15.86% of the province’s road network in 2025.^10,1

Municipalities and towns

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

Pernik Municipality holds about three-quarters of the province’s residents. Breznik, 50 km from Sofia, is the centre of the northern part of the Graovo region, and Tran lies on the Erma river in the Znepole valley.^11,10

Education and skills

30.5% of residents aged 25–64 had a university degree in 2025, but IME records only 0.44 university students per 1,000 residents, so most graduates are trained in Sofia. The universities guide lists the options.¹

26.9% of residents were aged 65 or over in 2025.¹

Tourism and nature

• Erma River Gorge, Tran
• Pernik Mining Museum

Tourist accommodation recorded 372 nights per 1,000 residents in 2025, and forests cover 40.39% of the province.¹