In 2022, the Bulgarian established Blue Economy sectors employ about 72 000 people and generate around €983 million in GVA. The Blue Economy has had a positive impact on the Bulgarian workforce, employing about 2.5% of the national workforce in 2022. This share has increased on a year-to-year basis (1.8% in 2021). Bulgaria has recorded an increase in contribution of Blue Economy sectors to the overall GVA, moving from 1.1% in 2021 to 1.3% in 2022.
The Bulgarian Blue Economy is dominated by Coastal tourism, which contributes to 64% of Bulgarian Blue Economy jobs and 51% to GVA. The tourism sector has almost fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, with employment and GVA increasing from 56% and 41% in 2021. However, 2022 values are still lower than those recorded pre-Covid (i.e. in 2019, 71% for employment and 63% for GVA).
The busiest container ports in 2023 in Bulgaria are: Port of Burgas (56th busiest port in EU in terms of gross weight of goods handled) and Port of Varna (72nd). In terms of passengers embarked and disembarked in ports, Burgas ranked 469th and Varna 485th in 2023 in EU.
Several national ministries monitor the performances of the Bulgarian blue economy, such as the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communcations and the Ministry of Environment and Water. The National Statistical Institute also reports business data on several sectors, including water transport and tourism.
Finally, Marine Cluster Bulgaria is a non-government organization consolidating the efforts of all sectors of the maritime economy in Bulgaria.
Currently, there are few opportunities to acquire education and skills within the country, such as the Technical University of Varna which offers a BSc in Shipbuilding and Marine engineering, a MSc in Shipbuilding and maritime equipment and also a PhD in Shipbuilding and Marine Equipment.
This interactive dashboard presents the evolution of the blue economy for Bulgaria. It is designed to provide insights into key economic indicators over time.
At the top of the dashboard, there is a drop-down menu that allows users to select one of the following data categories:
- Employment: Number of jobs and workforce trends in the blue economy sectors.
- Gross Value Added (GVA): The contribution of the blue economy to the national economy.
- Turnover and Gross Profit: Revenue and profitability metrics of blue economy industries.
- Investment: Capital investment levels in blue economy sectors.
Once a category is selected, the main panel updates to display relevant visualisations, such as line charts or bar graphs, showing trends over time. These visualisations are accompanied by labels, legends, and tooltips to ensure clarity and accessibility.
The dashboard is navigable via keyboard and compatible with screen readers. All interactive elements are clearly labeled, and data visualisations include alternative text descriptions summarising key insights.