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: LevelSubdivisions#LAU 1Municipalities (Obshtini)264LAU 2Settlements (Naseleni mesta)5302 The LAU codes of Bulgaria can be downloaded here:
NUTS codes
NUTS 1 Code NUTS 2 Code NUTS 3 Code Northern andEastern 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 andSouth-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.S. Okov. Bulgaria May Redraw Regional Borders to Maintain Flow of EU Cash. Bloomberg, 26 February 2018L. Ivanov. NUTS II Regions of Bulgaria: Proposal submitted to the inter-ministerial working group on the development of options for the redrawing of Bulgarian NUTS Level 2 Boundaries. Sofia, November 2017 (in Bulgarian and English) 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.Regional Development (Amendment) Bill. Council of Ministers: Portal for Public Consultation, 4 October – 6 November 2018 (in Bulgarian)
See also Subdivisions of Bulgaria ISO 3166-2 codes of Bulgaria FIPS region codes of Bulgaria List of Bulgarian regions by Human Development Index
Notes
Sources Hierarchical list of the Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics - NUTS and the Statistical regions of Europe Overview map of EU Countries - NUTS level 1 BULGARIA - NUTS level 2 BULGARIA - NUTS level 3 Correspondence between the NUTS levels and the national administrative units List of current NUTS codes Download current NUTS codes (ODS format) Regions of Bulgaria, Statoids.com