Provinces of Bulgaria, Bulgaria Provinces and Capitals List

Written and Fact-checked by | Last Updated On: May 27, 2026

Bulgaria is divided into 12 Provinces, or qarks, each named after their capital city. Here is a list of the 12 Provinces in alphabetical order:

Bulgaria is a country in Southeast Europe on the Balkan Peninsula, bordered by Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, and the Black Sea. The country is divided into 28 provinces, officially called oblasts, and those provinces are further divided into municipalities. Sofia is the national capital and also the largest city in Bulgaria.

The landscape changes from mountains and forests in the west and center to broad plains and Black Sea beaches in the east. Bulgaria has a long history shaped by Thracian, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman influences, and many cities still carry traces of those periods today.

Key Facts

  • National capital: Sofia
  • Total population: 6,445,481 (Official estimate 2024)
  • Total area: 110,994 km² (42,855 sq miles)
  • Currency: Bulgarian Lev (лв, BGN)
  • Bordering countries: Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Greece, Turkey
  • Total Provinces (Oblasts): 28
  • Total Municipalities: 265

List of Provinces and Capitals of Bulgaria

Total provinces shown: 28 | Combined population: 6,445,481 | Combined area: 110,994 km²

#Province NameCapital CityRegionArea (km²)Population (Latest Census)
1BlagoevgradBlagoevgradSouthwest6,449291,000
2BurgasBurgasBlack Sea Coast7,748380,286
3DobrichDobrichNortheast4,719169,000
4GabrovoGabrovoCentral North2,02395,000
5HaskovoHaskovoSouth5,533207,000
6KardzhaliKardzhaliSouth Central3,209148,000
7KyustendilKyustendilWest3,084111,000
8LovechLovechCentral North4,128117,000
9MontanaMontanaNorthwest3,635124,000
10PazardzhikPazardzhikSouth Central4,458251,000
11PernikPernikWest2,390114,000
12PlevenPlevenNorth Central4,653228,000
13PlovdivPlovdivSouth Central5,973634,497
14RazgradRazgradNortheast2,639108,000
15RuseRuseNorth2,803193,000
16ShumenShumenNortheast3,390172,000
17SilistraSilistraNortheast2,846101,000
18SlivenSlivenEast Central3,544180,000
19SmolyanSmolyanSouth Mountains3,19298,000
20Sofia ProvinceSofiaWest Central7,020235,000
21Sofia CitySofiaCapital Region1,3491,295,931
22Stara ZagoraStara ZagoraCentral South5,151304,000
23TargovishteTargovishteNortheast2,55896,000
24VarnaVarnaBlack Sea Coast3,820432,198
25Veliko TarnovoVeliko TarnovoCentral North4,662206,000
26VidinVidinNorthwest3,03274,000
27VratsaVratsaNorthwest3,620152,000
28YambolYambolSoutheast3,356113,569

Largest Provinces by Area

  • Burgas - 2,991 sq mi (7,748 km²)
  • Sofia Province - 2,710 sq mi (7,020 km²)
  • Blagoevgrad - 2,490 sq mi (6,449 km²)
  • Plovdiv - 2,306 sq mi (5,973 km²)
  • Haskovo - 2,136 sq mi (5,533 km²)
  • Stara Zagora - 1,989 sq mi (5,151 km²)
  • Dobrich - 1,822 sq mi (4,719 km²)
  • Veliko Tarnovo - 1,800 sq mi (4,662 km²)

Most Populous Provinces

  • Sofia City - Population: 1,295,931 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Plovdiv - Population: 634,497 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Varna - Population: 432,198 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Burgas - Population: 380,286 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Stara Zagora - Population: 304,000 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Blagoevgrad - Population: 291,000 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Pazardzhik - Population: 251,000 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Sofia Province - Population: 235,000 (Official Estimate 2024)

Smallest Provinces by Area

  • Sofia City - 521 sq mi (1,349 km²)
  • Gabrovo - 781 sq mi (2,023 km²)
  • Pernik - 923 sq mi (2,390 km²)
  • Targovishte - 988 sq mi (2,558 km²)
  • Razgrad - 1,019 sq mi (2,639 km²)
  • Ruse - 1,082 sq mi (2,803 km²)

Provinces by Regional Grouping

  • Capital Region: Sofia City
  • West: Kyustendil, Pernik
  • West Central: Sofia Province
  • Southwest: Blagoevgrad
  • South: Haskovo
  • South Central: Kardzhali, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv
  • South Mountains: Smolyan
  • Central South: Stara Zagora
  • Central North: Gabrovo, Lovech, Pleven, Veliko Tarnovo
  • North: Ruse
  • Northwest: Montana, Vidin, Vratsa
  • Northeast: Dobrich, Razgrad, Shumen, Silistra, Targovishte
  • East Central: Sliven
  • Southeast: Yambol
  • Black Sea Coast: Burgas, Varna

Landlocked Provinces

  • Blagoevgrad
  • Gabrovo
  • Haskovo
  • Kardzhali
  • Kyustendil
  • Lovech
  • Montana
  • Pazardzhik
  • Pernik
  • Pleven
  • Plovdiv
  • Razgrad
  • Ruse
  • Shumen
  • Silistra
  • Sliven
  • Smolyan
  • Sofia Province
  • Sofia City
  • Stara Zagora
  • Targovishte
  • Veliko Tarnovo
  • Vidin
  • Vratsa
  • Yambol

Provinces with Coastline

  • Burgas
  • Varna
  • Dobrich

Provinces Sharing Borders with Other Countries

  • Romania: Vidin, Montana, Vratsa, Pleven, Veliko Tarnovo, Ruse, Silistra, Dobrich
  • Serbia: Vidin, Montana, Sofia Province, Pernik, Kyustendil
  • North Macedonia: Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad
  • Greece: Blagoevgrad, Smolyan, Kardzhali, Haskovo
  • Turkey: Haskovo, Yambol, Burgas

Sources