# 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. The standard is developed and regulated by the European Union. 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:

## NUTS codes

| NUTS 1 | Code | NUTS 2 | Code | NUTS 3 | Code |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severozapaden (Northwestern) | BG31 | Vidin Province | BG311 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severozapaden (Northwestern) | BG31 | Montana Province | BG312 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severozapaden (Northwestern) | BG31 | Vratsa Province | BG313 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severozapaden (Northwestern) | BG31 | Pleven Province | BG314 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severozapaden (Northwestern) | BG31 | Lovech Province | BG315 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severen tsentralen (Northern Central) | BG32 | Veliko Tarnovo Province | BG321 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severen tsentralen (Northern Central) | BG32 | Gabrovo Province | BG322 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severen tsentralen (Northern Central) | BG32 | Ruse Province | BG323 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severen tsentralen (Northern Central) | BG32 | Razgrad Province | BG324 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severen tsentralen (Northern Central) | BG32 | Silistra Province | BG325 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severoiztochen (Northeastern) | BG33 | Varna Province | BG331 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severoiztochen (Northeastern) | BG33 | Dobrich Province | BG332 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severoiztochen (Northeastern) | BG33 | Shumen Province | BG333 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Severoiztochen (Northeastern) | BG33 | Targovishte Province | BG334 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Yugoiztochen (Southeastern) | BG34 | Burgas Province | BG341 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Yugoiztochen (Southeastern) | BG34 | Sliven Province | BG342 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Yugoiztochen (Southeastern) | BG34 | Yambol Province | BG343 |
| Northern and Eastern Bulgaria | BG3 | Yugoiztochen (Southeastern) | BG34 | Stara Zagora Province | BG344 |
| South-Western and South-Central Bulgaria | BG4 | Yugozapaden (Southwestern) | BG41 | Sofia City | BG411 |
| South-Western and South-Central Bulgaria | BG4 | Yugozapaden (Southwestern) | BG41 | Sofia Province | BG412 |
| South-Western and South-Central Bulgaria | BG4 | Yugozapaden (Southwestern) | BG41 | Blagoevgrad Province | BG413 |
| South-Western and South-Central Bulgaria | BG4 | Yugozapaden (Southwestern) | BG41 | Pernik Province | BG414 |
| South-Western and South-Central Bulgaria | BG4 | Yugozapaden (Southwestern) | BG41 | Kyustendil Province | BG415 |
| South-Western and South-Central Bulgaria | BG4 | Yuzhen tsentralen (Southern Central) | BG42 | Plovdiv Province | BG421 |
| South-Western and South-Central Bulgaria | BG4 | Yuzhen tsentralen (Southern Central) | BG42 | Haskovo Province | BG422 |
| South-Western and South-Central Bulgaria | BG4 | Yuzhen tsentralen (Southern Central) | BG42 | Pazardzhik Province | BG423 |
| South-Western and South-Central Bulgaria | BG4 | Yuzhen tsentralen (Southern Central) | BG42 | Smolyan Province | BG424 |
| South-Western and South-Central Bulgaria | BG4 | Yuzhen tsentralen (Southern Central) | BG42 | 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. 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.
* Proposal option 1
* Proposal option 2 underlying the Regional Development (Amendment) Bill of October 2018
* Proposal option 3
* Proposal option 4
* Proposal option 5