Data collection activities have been launched under the ‘Sub-national and city statistics’ project, as signed in 2024 Grant agreement (No. 101145892, РД-10-1/19.01.2024) between the National Statistical Institute and the European Commission. The project duration is 36 months and is part of a series of projects known as ‘Urban Audit Data Collection’, in which Bulgaria has participated since 2004. In the current phase of the project, data on cities and functional urban areas (FUAs) will be collected. These areas are defined according to Regulation (EU) 2017/2391 of the European Parliament and the Council, dated December 12, 2017. The study will include various variables covering the following topics:
- Demographics;
- Labor market;
- Transportation;
- Living conditions;
- Environment.
In the current phase of the project, the time series with data will also be revised to align with the updated by Eurostat list of cities based on the results of Census 2021. Additionally, an update of the methodology for assessing missing data in small areas, used by the National Statistical Institute (NSI), is foreseen. The results will also include a dedicated digital publication in 2027, featuring data on Bulgarian cities and their functional urban areas included in the study.
