Editing Plovdiv (section)

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Plovdiv}}
{{Pie chart
 | radius = 75 
 | caption = GVA by sector (2013)
 | label1 = Agriculture| value1 = 5
 | label2 = Industry| value2 = 57
 | label3 = Services| value3 = 38
}}
{{Pie chart
 | radius = 75
 | caption = Employees by sector (2014)
 | label1 = Manufacturing| value1 = 36
 | label2 = Commerce| value2 = 16
 | label3 = Education| value3 = 8
 | label4 = Healthcare| value4 = 7
 | label5 = Transport| value5 = 6
 | label6 = Other| value6 = 27
}}
Although it is located in the middle of a rich agricultural region, Plovdiv's economy has shifted from agriculture to industry since the beginning of the 20th century. [[Food processing]], [[tobacco]], [[brewing]], and [[textiles]] formed the pillars of the industrial economic shift.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bg.bgp.bg/BGP_articles_191/%d0%9f%d0%bb%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%b4%d0%b8%d0%b2 |title=Plovdiv – BGP |publisher=Bg.bgp.bg |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706142720/http://bg.bgp.bg/BGP_articles_191/%d0%9f%d0%bb%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%b4%d0%b8%d0%b2 |archive-date=6 July 2011  }}</ref> During [[Communism|Communist]] rule, the city's economy expanded and was dominated by heavy industry. After the fall of Communism in 1989 and the collapse of Bulgaria's [[planned economy]], a number of industrial complexes were closed; production of lead and [[zinc]], [[machinery]], [[electronics]], [[motor truck]]s, [[chemical industry|chemicals]], and cosmetics have continued.

Plovdiv is the economic capital of Bulgaria as it has the country's largest economy and contributes 7.5% of Bulgaria's GDP {{As of|2014|lc=y}}.<ref name="nsi">https://web.archive.org/web/20140119050340/http://www.nsi.bg/bg/content/11420/%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82-%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2 NSI (in Bulgarian)</ref> In 2014, more than 35 thousand companies operate in the region which create jobs for 285,000 people.<ref name="nsi"/> The advantages of Plovdiv include the central geographic location, good infrastructure, and large population. Plovdiv has an international airport, terminal for intermodal transport, several connections with [[Trakia motorway]] (connecting [[Sofia]] and [[Burgas]]), proximity to [[Maritsa motorway]] (the main corridor to [[Turkey]]), and well-developed road and rail infrastructure which all led to the development of the city as the leading city in terms of industrial output in Bulgaria. Established in 1970, the [[Toplofikatsiya Plovdiv]] company provides generation of electric power and heat and heat distribution for Plovdiv.<ref>{{cite web |title=EVN BULGARIA TOPLOFIKATSIA EAD (BULGARIA) |url=https://www.emis.com/php/company-profile/BG/EVN_Bulgaria_Toplofikatsia_EAD__%D0%95%D0%92%D0%9D_%D0%91%D1%8A%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%A2%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%95%D0%90%D0%94__en_1403605.html |website=EMIS.COM |publisher=EMIS |access-date=3 June 2023 |date=August 30, 2022 |archive-date=3 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603014326/https://www.emis.com/php/company-profile/BG/EVN_Bulgaria_Toplofikatsia_EAD__%D0%95%D0%92%D0%9D_%D0%91%D1%8A%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%A2%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%95%D0%90%D0%94__en_1403605.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The economy of Plovdiv has long tradition in [[manufacturing]], [[commerce]], [[transport]], [[communications]], and [[tourism]]. Apart from the industrial development of Plovdiv, there has been a significant surge in the IT and outsourcing service sector in the recent years, as well as a double-digit increase in the tourism growth in the city every year for the past 5 years.<ref name="tourism">http://www.plovdiv.bg/%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D0%B5-%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80-%D0%B2-%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B7%D1%8A%D0%BC-%D0%B2-%D0%B1/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826113136/http://www.plovdiv.bg/%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D0%B5-%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80-%D0%B2-%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B7%D1%8A%D0%BC-%D0%B2-%D0%B1/ |date=26 August 2017 }} Tourism (in Bulgarian)</ref>

===Economic Indicators===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! Indicator
! Unit
! 2010
! 2011
! 2012
! 2013
! 2014
|-
| align="left" | GDP
| align="center" | BGN million
| align="right" | 5,539
| align="right" | 6,062
| align="right" | 6,178
| align="right" | 6,374
| align="right" | 6,273
|-
| align="left" | Share in Bulgaria's GDP
| align="center" | %
| align="right" | 7.5
| align="right" | 7.6
| align="right" | 7.6
| align="right" | 7.8
| align="right" | 7.5
|-
| align="left" | GDP per capita
| align="center" | BGN
| align="right" | 7,924
| align="right" | 8,888
| align="right" | 9,087
| align="right" | 9,394
| align="right" | 9,268
|-
| align="left" | Population
| align="center" | Number
| align="right" | 696,300
| align="right" | 680,884
| align="right" | 678,860
| align="right" | 678,197
| align="right" | 675,586
|-
| align="left" | Average annual number of employees under labor contract
| align="center" | Number
| align="right" | 208,438
| align="right" | 207,599
| align="right" | 205,876
| align="right" | 203,933
| align="right" | 207,057
|-
| align="left" | Average salary of employees under labor contract
| align="center" | BGN
| align="right" | 6,462
| align="right" | 6,889
| align="right" | 7,418
| align="right" | 7,922
| align="right" | 8,504
|-
| align="left" | Economic activity rate 
| align="center" | %
|align="right" | 64.9
|align="right" | 64.2
|align="right" | 67.7
|align="right" | 70.7
|align="right" | 71.7
|-
| align="left" | Unemployment rate
| align="center" | %
|align="right" | 8.5
|align="right" | 8.8
|align="right" | 11.2
|align="right" | 13.4
|align="right" | 13.1
|-
| align="left" | FDI
| align="center" | EUR million
|align="right" | 1.118
|align="right" | 1.259
|align="right" | 1.340
|align="right" | 1.648
|align="right" | 1.546
|}
Source: The National Statistical Institute<ref name="nsi"/>

===Industry===
Industry has been the sole leader in attracting investment. Industry has been expanding since the late 1990s, with manufacturing plants being built in the city or in its outskirts mainly the municipality of Maritsa. In this period, some €500,000,000 has been invested in the construction of new factories. [[Trakia Economic Zone]] which is one of the largest industrial zones in Eastern Europe, is located around Plovdiv. Some of the biggest companies in the region include the Austrian utility company [[EVN Group|EVN]], PIMK  (transport), Insa Oil (fuels), [[Liebherr]] (refrigerator plant), [[Magna International]] (automotive industry), Bella Bulgaria (food manufacturing), Socotab (tobacco processing), [[ABB Group]], [[Schneider Electric]], [[Osram]], Sensata Technologies, etc.

===Shopping and commerce===
The commercial sector is developing quickly. Shopping centers have been built mainly in the Central district and the district of Trakiya. Those include Shopping Center Grand,<ref>[http://plovdiv.imotibg.com/plovdiv/%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8-%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80-enno170932.html Grand Trade Center to open in Plovdiv]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011105414/http://plovdiv.imotibg.com/plovdiv/%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8-%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80-enno170932.html |date=11 October 2009 }}</ref> Market Center,<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web |url=http://big.bg/modules/news03/article.php?storyid=21452 |title=Пет големи търговски центъра слагат край на сергиите в центъра на Пловдив |publisher=Big.bg |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720082819/http://big.bg/modules/news03/article.php?storyid=21452 |archive-date=20 July 2011  }}</ref> and two more all on the Kapitan Raycho Street,<ref name="autogenerated2"/> Forum in Trakiya, Excelsior, and others. Plovdiv has three large shopping centers: the €40&nbsp;million Mall of Plovdiv (opened 2009) with a shopping area of {{convert|22000|m2|2|abbr=on}}, 11 cinema halls, and parking for 700 cars;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.plovdiv24.com/news/21968.html|title=Construction of Mall of Plovdiv begins|date=18 December 2006|publisher=Plovdiv24.com|access-date=7 January 2011|archive-date=12 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612064436/http://www.plovdiv24.com/news/21968.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Markovo tepe Mall (opened 2016);<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comfort.bg/bg/public/news_2425_36.html |title=A Bulgarian-Israeli company to build a mall in Plovdiv |publisher=Comfort.bg |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-date=6 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706142759/http://www.comfort.bg/bg/public/news_2425_36.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and Plovdiv Plaza Mall which is 6 stories high with 127 000 m<sup>2</sup> area, half of which is the parking lot and the rest is shopping area.

Due to the high demand for business office space, new office and commercial buildings have been built. Several hypermarkets have been built mainly on the outskirts of the city: [[Metro AG|Metro]], [[Kaufland]], [[Triumf (hypermarket)|Triumf]], [[Praktiker]], [[Billa (supermarket)|Billa]], [[Mr. Bricolage]], [[Baumax]], Technopolis, Technomarket Europa, and others. The main shopping area is the central street with its shops, cafés, and restaurants. A number of cafés, craftsmen workshops, and souvenir shops are in the Old Town and the small streets in the centre, known among the locals as "The Trap" ({{langx|bg|Капана}}).

The [[Plovdiv International Fair]], held annually since 1892, is the largest and oldest fair in the country and all of southeastern Europe, gathering companies from all over the world in an exhibition area of {{convert|138000|m2|2|abbr=on}} located on a territory of {{convert|352000|m2|2|abbr=on}} on the northern banks of the Maristsa river.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fair.bg/bg/fair/ |title=Plovdiv International Fair |publisher=Fair.bg |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-date=6 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706143020/http://www.fair.bg/bg/fair/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It attracts more than 600,000 visitors from many countries.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite book |last=Balabanov |first=G. |title=This is Bulgaria |location=Sofia |page=393 |language=bg, en |isbn=954-91672-1-6 |year=2005}}</ref>

The city has had a duty-free zone since 1987. It has a customs terminal handling cargo from trucks and trains.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
<gallery mode="packed-hover">
File:Plovdiv Plaza.jpg|Mall Plovdiv Plaza
File:MallMakrovo.jpg|Mall Markovo tepe
File:Mall Plovdiv.jpg|Mall Plovdiv
File:Trade Center Forum, Trakiya, Plovdiv.JPG|Forum Trakia shopping center
</gallery>