Population growth in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Population growth was -0.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Bulgaria, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, population growth in Bulgaria stood at -0.1%.
The figure is down 57.1% on the previous year and up 90.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Bulgaria peaked at 1.0% in 1961 and was at its lowest, -2.2%, in 2002.
Bulgaria ranks 181st of 218 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.0% | — |
| 1962 | 0.9% | -8.7% |
| 1963 | 0.8% | -7.4% |
| 1964 | 0.8% | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 0.7% | -10.3% |
| 1966 | 0.7% | -10.5% |
| 1967 | 0.6% | -3.8% |
| 1968 | 0.7% | +13.1% |
| 1969 | 0.8% | +7.9% |
| 1970 | 0.7% | -14.8% |
| 1971 | 0.5% | -16.0% |
| 1972 | 0.5% | -15.4% |
| 1973 | 0.5% | +11.9% |
| 1974 | 0.7% | +28.3% |
| 1975 | 0.5% | -27.7% |
| 1976 | 0.4% | -10.3% |
| 1977 | 0.5% | +19.8% |
| 1978 | 0.1% | -78.5% |
| 1979 | 0.1% | +20.8% |
| 1980 | 0.4% | +198.1% |
| 1981 | 0.3% | -17.2% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | -11.2% |
| 1983 | 0.2% | -15.6% |
| 1984 | 0.2% | -6.2% |
| 1985 | -0.0% | -100.6% |
| 1986 | -0.0% | +1700.3% |
| 1987 | 0.1% | -654.7% |
| 1988 | 0.1% | -23.6% |
| 1989 | -1.2% | -1141.2% |
| 1990 | -1.8% | +54.2% |
| 1991 | -1.0% | -45.1% |
| 1992 | -1.1% | +8.4% |
| 1993 | -0.8% | -25.7% |
| 1994 | -0.3% | -57.4% |
| 1995 | -0.4% | +31.2% |
| 1996 | -0.5% | +15.8% |
| 1997 | -0.6% | +18.0% |
| 1998 | -0.7% | +9.6% |
| 1999 | -0.6% | -16.0% |
| 2000 | -0.5% | -11.9% |
| 2001 | -2.0% | +303.0% |
| 2002 | -2.2% | +9.0% |
| 2003 | -0.8% | -63.5% |
| 2004 | -0.8% | -4.7% |
| 2005 | -0.8% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | -0.8% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | -0.7% | -3.2% |
| 2008 | -0.7% | -4.5% |
| 2009 | -0.6% | -8.2% |
| 2010 | -0.7% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | -0.6% | -2.6% |
| 2012 | -0.6% | -9.7% |
| 2013 | -2.0% | +248.2% |
| 2014 | -1.2% | -39.8% |
| 2015 | -1.3% | +4.7% |
| 2016 | -1.3% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | -1.3% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | -1.4% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | -1.4% | +2.9% |
| 2020 | -1.0% | -29.0% |
| 2021 | -0.7% | -33.7% |
| 2022 | -0.7% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | -0.3% | -56.0% |
| 2024 | -0.1% | -72.0% |
| 2025 | -0.1% | +57.1% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's -0.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.4%. (85 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's -0.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.3%. (57 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in Bulgaria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | -1700.3% | -0.0% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -1141.2% | 0.1% | -1.2% |
| 1987 | +654.7% | -0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2001 | -303.0% | -0.5% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | -248.2% | -0.6% | -2.0% |
| 1980 | +198.1% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1% | -1.2% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.8% | -1.8% | -0.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.0% | -2.2% | -0.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.2% | -2.0% | -0.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.5% | -1.0% | -0.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More climate change data for Bulgaria
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 176.16 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,923 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 704.34 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,219 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.66 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 79.24 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,439 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,346 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 92.96 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 5.08 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Bulgaria?
- Population growth in Bulgaria was -0.1% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 1.0% in 1961.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.2% in 2002.
- How does Bulgaria rank for population growth?
- Bulgaria ranks 181st out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 90.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.