Real GDP in Bulgaria's south-east region fell 20.5% between 2019 and 2024, the biggest drop of any region in the EU, Eurostat data show.

The economy grew in the other five Bulgarian regions. It rose 25.3% in the south-central region, 22.9% in the north-central, 21.8% in the south-west, 11.3% in the north-east and 5.8% in the north-west.

The figures compare 2024 with 2019, the year before the Covid-19 pandemic. Real GDP for the whole EU grew 5.6%. Of 244 regions with data, 197 grew and 46 shrank, while Ceuta in Spain saw no change.

Four other EU regions also had a double-digit fall. Western Macedonia in Greece shrank 18%, Groningen in the Netherlands 14%, Sud-Muntenia in Romania 13.5% and South-West Oltenia, also in Romania, 11.3%.

Ireland's Eastern and Midland region, which includes Dublin, grew fastest, with GDP up 38%. It also had the highest GDP per person in the EU in 2024. Ireland's Northern and Western region came second with 36.4%, and its Southern region sixth with 26%.

Three other regions grew by more than 30%: Bucharest-Ilfov in Romania (33%), which includes the capital, Malta (32.9%) and the French overseas region of Mayotte (32.1%).

Almost all capital regions in the EU reported growth. Only Helsinki-Uusimaa in Finland saw GDP fall, by 1.9%.