SOFIA, Bulgaria — Sofia has reaffirmed its status as Bulgaria’s real estate powerhouse, leading the country for the third consecutive year in the construction of large residential properties.
Data released by the National Statistical Institute (NSI) reveals that a record 903 new homes with five or more rooms were completed in the capital in 2024 — a significant 60% jump from the previous year.
This surge underscores a rising preference among homebuyers for spacious living environments, driven by evolving lifestyle needs and increased demand for family-friendly layouts in urban settings.
The capital far outpaced other regions, with the second-ranking Plovdiv completing 315 large homes, followed by Varna (203), Blagoevgrad (201), and Sofia Province (173).
Other notable contributors to the country’s growing stock of large residences include Burgas with 110 units, Pernik (76), Pazardzhik (56), Stara Zagora (53), and Kardzhali (41).
In total, Bulgaria added 2,416 large homes to its housing inventory in 2024 — a clear indication of the expanding appetite for more generous floor plans.
Sofia also dominated overall residential construction, with 6,888 new housing units completed — more than double that of any other region. Burgas followed with 2,877 homes, trailed by Varna (2,387), Plovdiv (2,145), and Blagoevgrad (1,062).
These figures reflect the ongoing urban expansion and population growth in Bulgaria’s southern cities, especially in and around the capital.
In contrast, construction activity in some northern areas of the country remains minimal. Vidin saw the completion of just 14 new homes in 2024, while Silistra added only 26.
The data points to a continuing trend of economic disparity between Bulgaria’s northern and southern regions. The Southwest region, which includes Sofia, registered 8,964 new homes — a stark contrast to the 667 in the North Central region and 525 in the Northwest.
Interestingly, while there is growing demand for larger living spaces among homebuyers, property investors continue to favor smaller units.
Two-room apartments made up the largest share of completed homes in 2024, totaling 7,880 units or 37.5% of all new housing. Three-room apartments followed closely with 6,891 units (32.8%), while four-room homes accounted for 2,497, and single-room apartments totaled 1,314.
In all, 5,201 new residential buildings were constructed in Bulgaria last year, comprising a total of 20,998 housing units. Most of these buildings (75.8%) were made with reinforced concrete, followed by 20.1% with brick, 0.4% with prefabricated panels, and 3.6% using other materials.
The cumulative usable floor space of the newly built homes exceeded 2 million square meters. While the national average home size was 96.4 square meters, significant regional differences were observed.
Sofia Province and Silistra topped the list with average sizes of 142.2 and 141.9 sq.m., respectively, while homes in Pleven (77.6 sq.m.) and Targovishte (78.4 sq.m.) were the smallest.
With Sofia continuing to attract both families and investors, the city’s dominance in Bulgaria’s housing sector shows no signs of slowing.