Sofia Leads Bulgaria’s Housing Boom, Sets Record for Large Residential Properties in 2024
Sofia, The Gulf Observer: For the third consecutive year, Sofia has maintained its position as Bulgaria’s leader in residential property development, particularly in the construction of large homes. New data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI) reveals that the capital city saw the completion of a record-breaking 903 new homes with five or more rooms in 2024—a remarkable 60% increase from the previous year.
The trend underscores a growing demand for spacious living environments in the capital, likely driven by rising incomes, urban expansion, and evolving lifestyle preferences.
Plovdiv followed as a distant second with 315 large residential units, while Varna (203), Blagoevgrad (201), and Sofia Province (173) rounded out the top five. Other regions also reported significant contributions to the segment, including Burgas (110), Pernik (76), Pazardzhik (56), Stara Zagora (53), and Kardzhali (41). Nationwide, a total of 2,416 large homes were put into operation in 2024.
Sofia also topped the chart for overall new housing units, adding 6,888 homes to the market last year. Burgas (2,877), Varna (2,387), Plovdiv (2,145), and Blagoevgrad (1,062) followed, showcasing a highly concentrated growth in the southern regions of the country.
In stark contrast, northern Bulgaria continues to face sluggish construction activity. Only 14 new homes were completed in Vidin and 26 in Silistra. Overall, the Southwest region, which includes Sofia, registered a total of 8,964 new housing units, while the North Central and Northwest regions posted significantly lower numbers — 667 and 525 units, respectively.
Despite the upward trend in larger homes, two-room apartments remained the most constructed in 2024, accounting for 7,880 units, or 37.5% of all new homes. This was followed by three-room units (6,891), four-room homes (2,497), and one-room properties (1,314), indicating a clear divide between living preferences and investment choices.
In total, 5,201 new residential buildings were completed across Bulgaria last year, adding 20,998 housing units to the national inventory. Reinforced concrete remains the dominant building material (75.8%), followed by brick (20.1%), panels (0.4%), and other materials (3.6%).
The total usable floor space of the newly constructed homes exceeded 2 million square meters. The average home size stood at 96.4 square meters, with Sofia Province (142.2 sq.m.) and Silistra (141.9 sq.m.) reporting the largest average floor areas. Conversely, the smallest averages were recorded in Pleven (77.6 sq.m.) and Targovishte (78.4 sq.m.).
As Bulgaria’s housing market continues to evolve, experts predict the demand for both spacious family residences and compact investment properties will remain strong—driven by urbanization, economic growth, and shifting population patterns.
