Population and economy

The municipality inhabitants are 12 242 people at the beginning of 2014. There are 8 settlements in it: town Kostenets, town Momin prohod and villages Kostenets, Pchelin, Ochusha, Gorna Vasilitsa, Golak, Podgorie. The resorts Vili Kostenets and Pchelinski bani are in the municipality too. At the end of 2013 the unemployment in the municipality is about 12%. On the territory of Kostenets region there are 3 municipal kindergartens, 4 municipal and 2 national schools, and the number of all the children and students attending them is 1 490.

At the municipality are registered 408 firms. The main part of the local economy is based on manufacturing industry and commerce, followed by tourism, agriculture and forestry. There are traditions in the region in cultivating strawberries, raspberries, black currants, fruit trees, potatoes and cereals. The family farms are breeding sheep, cows and buffalos.

Prospective sectors for future development in the region are agriculture, food processing, tourist services, furniture production, woodworking, clothing industry and craftsmanship.