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For almost two years now, the health sector has been the focus of public debate over the pandemic. Data on the number and distribution of general practitioners and specialists in the fields in 2020 reveal a worrying trend of deteriorating access to physicians in almost the entire country.

While 2020 was particularly difficult for the tourism industry, in 2021 the picture is at least somewhat more favorable. The change came both in the form of various government support schemes for business and relief in travel requirements in Europe. However, the past summer season can in no way be compared to the period before the crisis, and the industry seems to be facing significant problems in the medium term as well.

The year of the Pandemic led to drastic changes in many of Bulgaria's economic and social indicators. One of the bigger surprises was the reversal of the trend in mechanical growth - all areas without four recorded population growth as a result of migration processes in 2020. The reason for this was mostly the return of many Bulgarians from abroad at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. -19. At the same time, there is a tendency to relocate within the districts themselves - from the district centers and large cities to smaller and less populated peripheral municipalities.

Ruse District is among the strongest economies in Northern Bulgaria, mainly due to the well-developed processing industry in the regional center and surrounding municipalities. In recent years, however, it has lagged behind, especially compared to the leading economic centers in the south.

For the tenth consecutive year, the Institute for Market Economy will present the publication "Regional Profiles: Development Indicators" - the only almanac of its kind on regional development in Bulgaria. The publication of the study, including the detailed profiles of all areas and the complete database, is forthcoming in a few months, but the processing of the data in the twelve studied categories of regional economic and social development is now ready. In this year's edition, too, the highest marks for both economic and social development are for the capital. However, monitoring the presentation of individual regional data in different categories shows that a number of other areas deserve recognition for progress in one area or another in economic and social life. See below which areas stand out as a good example in the different categories and why.

IME actively participated last week in the traditional Annual Meeting of Local Authorities. The forum brings together all mayors in the country and gives direction to local government for next year.

Burgas is an area with a very special economic profile - on the one hand, summer tourism is crucial for many of its municipalities, on the other hand the processing industry, and especially the refinery near the district center remains among the major generators of employment. This is the reason why the development trajectory of Burgas was more severely affected by the coronavirus and restrictive measures - on the one hand the contraction of international tourist flows inevitably hit the largest resorts in the country, but on the other large industry managed to keep free fall on the labor market after the mass closure of hotels and restaurants. However, in the medium term, the district will have to look for a way to diversify its economy, especially coastal municipalities.