See main article: Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics. 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. 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 is a further levels of geographic organisation - the local administrative unit (LAU). In Bulgaria, the LAU 1 is municipalities and the LAU 2 is settlements.
| Level | Subdivisions | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| NUTS 1 | Regions (Rayoni) | 2 | |
| NUTS 2 | Planning regions (Rayoni za planirane) | 6 | |
| NUTS 3 | Oblasts (Podregioni) | 28 |
See main article: Local administrative unit. 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 |
| 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
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.[2] [3] 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.[4]