Bulgaria

Parliamentary RepublicPop6.7MGDP (PPP)$219.6BCI56Beta CP0.0→Beta

Bulgaria

⌘K

Overview

Background: The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks overran the country. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878, and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, and the Schengen Area for air and sea travel in 2024.

Geography

Area

Land: 108,489 sq km
Water: 2,390 sq km
Total: 110,879 sq km

Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Land Use

Other: 17.7% (2023 est.)
Forest: 36.2% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 46.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 32.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 1.3% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 12.7% (2023 est.)

Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Coastline: 354 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
Highest point: Musala 2,925 m
Mean elevation: 472 m

Irrigated land: 929 sq km (2016)
Map references: Europe

Land Boundaries

Total: 1,806 km
Border countries: Greece 472 km; Macedonia 162 km; Romania 605 km; Serbia 344 km; Turkey 223 km

Maritime Claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: earthquakes; landslides
Geography note: strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
Natural resources: bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Area comparative: almost identical in size to Virginia; slightly larger than Tennessee
Geographic coordinates: 43 00 N, 25 00 E
Population distribution: a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger populations

Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)

Atlantic ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Major rivers (BY length in km): Dunav (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

People & Society

Languages

Languages: Bulgarian (official) 77.3%, Turkish 7.9%, Romani 3.5%, other 1%, unspecified 10.4% (2021 est.)
Major language sample(s): Светoвен Алманах, незаменимият източник за основна информация. (Bulgarian)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Christian 64.7%, Muslim 9.8%, other 0.1%, none 4.7%, unspecified 20.7% (2021 est.)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 7.88 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 14.18 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 43.3 years
Total: 45.5 years (2025 est.)
Female: 47 years

Population

Male: 3,281,215
Total: 6,737,997 (2025 est.)
Female: 3,456,782

Nationality

Noun: Bulgarian(s)
Adjective: Bulgarian

Tobacco Use

Male: 36.2% (2025 est.)
Total: 33.1% (2025 est.)
Female: 30.3% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 76.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: -0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 13.8% (male 479,586/female 453,423)
15 64 years: 65.2% (male 2,250,962/female 2,171,279)
65 years and over: 21% (2024 est.) (male 572,943/female 854,466)

Ethnic groups: Bulgarian 78.5%, Turkish 7.8%, Roma 4.1%, other 1.2%, unspecified 9.4% (2021 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 53.3 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 20.7 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.1 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 32.7 (2025 est.)

Physician density: 4.33 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 8.6% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 11.6% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 7.8 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.52 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: rural: rural: 97.3% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 99.1% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 2.7% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

Education Expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 4.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 12% national budget (2022 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 8.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 7.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: -0.66% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.74 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger populations

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 72.9 years
Female: 79.4 years
Total population: 76.1 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 6 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 4.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 1.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 11.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 4.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Major urban areas population: 1.288 million SOFIA (capital) (2023)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 25% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 26.4 years (2020 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 56.6% (2023 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.6% (2014)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 15 years (2023 est.)
Total: 15 years (2023 est.)
Female: 16 years (2023 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

Flag: description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red

meaning: white stands for peace, love, and freedom; green for the country's agricultural wealth; red for the independence struggle and military courage

history: originally adopted in 1879 as a modified version of the Russian tricolor flag, using green instead of blue; the communist coat of arms was added to the flag in various forms between 1948 and 1990, when it was removed after the communist government collapsed

Capital

Name: Sofia
Etymology: named after the Church of Saint Sofia in the city, parts of which may date to the 4th century
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Citizenship BY birth: no
Citizenship BY descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Bulgaria
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

History: several previous; latest drafted between late 1990 and early 1991, adopted 13 July 1991
Amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly or by the president of the republic; passage requires three-fourths majority vote of National Assembly members in three ballots; signed by the National Assembly chairperson; note - under special circumstances, a "Grand National Assembly" is elected with the authority to write a new constitution and amend certain articles of the constitution, including those affecting basic civil rights and national sovereignty; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in each of several readings

Country Name

Former: Kingdom of Bulgaria, People's Republic of Bulgaria
Etymology: named after the Bulgar tribes who settled the lower Balkan region in the 7th century A.D.; the tribal name may come from the Turkic word bulga, or "mixed," referring to the blend of Turkic and Slavic ethnicities in the tribes
Local long form: Republika Bulgaria
Local short form: Bulgaria
Conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
Conventional short form: Bulgaria

Independence: 3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)
Legal system: civil law
Government type: parliamentary republic

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court of Cassation consists of a chairman and approximately 72 judges organized into penal, civil, and commercial colleges; Supreme Administrative Court is organized into 2 colleges with various panels of 5 judges each; Constitutional Court consists of 12 justices) and resides outside the judiciary
Subordinate courts: appeals courts; regional and district courts; administrative courts; courts martial
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Cassation and Supreme Administrative judges elected by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC (consists of 25 members with extensive legal experience) and appointed by the president; judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Constitutional Court justices elected by the National Assembly and appointed by the president and the SJC; justices appointed for 9-year terms with renewal of 4 justices every 3 years

Executive Branch

Cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly
Chief of state: President Rumen RADEV (since 22 January 2017)
Election results: 2021: Rumen RADEV reelected president in second round; percent of vote in the first round - Rumen RADEV (independent) 49.4%, Anastas GERDZHIKOV (independent) 22.8%, Mustafa KARADAYI (DPS) 11.6%, Kostadin KOSTADINOV (Revival) 3.9%, Lozan PANOV (independent) 3.7%, other 8.6%; percent of vote in the second round - Rumen RADEV 66.7%, Anastas GERDZHIKOV 31.8%, neither 1.5%

2016: Rumen RADEV elected president in second round; percent of vote - Rumen RADEV (independent, supported by Bulgarian Socialist Party) 59.4%, Tsetska TSACHEVA (GERB) 36.2%, neither 4.5%
Head of government: Prime Minister Rosen ZHELYAZKOV (since 16 January 2025)
Most recent election date: 14 and 21 November 2021
Election/appointment process: president and vice president elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly
Expected date of next election: fall 2026

National holiday: Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)
National color(s): white, green, red

National Heritage

Total world heritage sites: 10 (7 cultural, 3 natural)
Selected world heritage site locales: Boyana Church (c); Madara Rider (c); Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (c); Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo (c); Rila Monastery (c); Ancient City of Nessebar (c); Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari (c); Srebarna Nature Reserve (n); Pirin National Park (n); Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians (n)

Political parties: BSP for Bulgaria (electoral alliance of BSP, PKT, Ecoglasnost)
Bulgarian Rise or BV
Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP
Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB (alliance with SDS)
Democratic Bulgaria or DB (electoral alliance of Yes! Bulgaria, DSB, and The Greens)
Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB
Ecoglasnost
Green Movement or The Greens
Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPS
Political Club Thrace or PKT
Revival
Stand Up.BG or IS.BG
There is Such a People or ITN
Union of Democratic Forces or SDS (alliance with GERB)
Yes! Bulgaria
We Continue the Change or PP
We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria or PP-DB (electoral alliance of PP, DB, Yes! Bulgaria)

Legislative Branch

Term in office: 4 years
Number of seats: 240 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Legislature name: National Assembly (Narodno sabranie)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Legislative structure: unicameral
Most recent election date: 10/27/2024
Expected date of next election: October 2028
Percentage of women in chamber: 25%
Parties elected and seats per party: Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria Party (GERB) - Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) (66); We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (36); Revival (Vuzrazhdane) (33); Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) - New Beginning (29); Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) - United Left (19); Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (APS) (19); There is Such a People (PP-ITN) (17); Other (21)

National Anthem(s)

Title: “Mila Rodino” (Dear Homeland)
History: adopted 1964; composed in 1885 by a student en route to fight in the Serbo-Bulgarian War
Lyrics/music: Tsvetan RADOSLAVOV

National symbol(s): lion
National coat of arms: Bulgaria’s coat of arms in the national colors of white, green, and red was adopted in 1997; the three lions are a national symbol for strength, courage, and leadership that was used during the country’s liberation movement in the 1870s and the kingdom period in the early 20th century; above the shield is the crown of Bulgaria (originally the crown of the medieval Bulgarian tsars) with a gold cross on top; a white scroll over the oak branches bears the Bulgarian national motto, “United we stand strong”
Administrative divisions: 28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Sofia-Grad (Sofia City), Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 234-7973
Chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: [1] (202) 387 5770
Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Stefka YOVCHEVA (since 7 May 2025)
Consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Email address and website: office@bulgaria-embassy.org

https://www.bulgaria-embassy.org/en/homepage/

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [359] (2) 937-5209
Embassy: 16, Kozyak Street, Sofia 1408
Telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100
Mailing address: 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC  20521-5740
Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires H. Martin McDOWELL (since May 2025)
Email address and website: acs_sofia@state.gov

https://bg.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOOSA,  UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Legislature

BULGARIA · LEGISLATURE

National Assembly

240 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

240

Majority line

121

Largest party

Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria Party (GERB) - Union of Democratic Forces (UDF)

Parties

All political parties9 parties · 240 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Leaders

Current

RR
Rumen Radev
- Head of StateSince 2017
RZ
Rosen Zhelyazkov
- Head of GovernmentSince 2025

Economy

Budget

Note: note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $35.615 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $37.546 billion (2023 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $63.9B

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2022: $63.246 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $63.415 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $62.661 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $61.0B

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2022: $62.261 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $59.158 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $60.029 billion (2024 est.)

Industries: electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, automotive parts, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel; outsourcing centers
Labor force: 3.124 million (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 29.9%

Note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2023: 30.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2022: 2.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 2.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024: 2.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Exchange Rates

Currency: leva (BGN) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 1.716 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 1.654 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 1.86 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 1.809 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 1.808 (2024 est.)

Debt External

Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Debt external 2022: $14.277 billion (2022 est.)

Economic overview: upper-middle-income EU economy; currency pegged to the euro, with eurozone accession pending; declining energy prices helping lower inflation rate; EU structural funds contributing to investment recovery; skilled labor shortage driven by emigration and aging population

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.5%

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 4.3% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 4.4% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 4.2% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: Germany 14%, Romania 11%, Italy 8%, Greece 6%, Turkey 5% (2023)
Imports partners: Germany 12%, Turkey 8%, Romania 8%, Russia 7%, Italy 6% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $41,969

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $32,400 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $33,100 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $34,100 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.1%

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 4% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 2.8% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products: wheat, maize, sunflower seeds, barley, milk, rapeseed, grapes, potatoes, triticale, tomatoes (2023)
Exports commodities: refined petroleum, garments, refined copper, wheat, natural gas (2023)
Imports commodities: crude petroleum, copper ore, cars, packaged medicine, electricity (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): -$1.5B

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Current account balance 2022: -$2.43 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$894.86 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024: -$2.014 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 20.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $112.212 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 57.6% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 19.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 2.5% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 17.9% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 55.8% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -53.5% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line: 20.6% (2022 est.)

Average Household Expenditures

On food: 20.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 4.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.5%

Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 15.3% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 9.4% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 2.4% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $219.645 billion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $209.683 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $213.64 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $219.645 billion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 12.4% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 12.1% (2024 est.)
Female: 11.8% (2024 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $40.989 billion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $46.334 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $43.698 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 22.5% (2024 est.)
Services: 62.6% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 2.1% (2024 est.)

Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Lowest 10%: 2.1% (2022 est.)
Highest 10%: 30.1% (2022 est.)

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2022: 38.2 (2022 est.)

Energy

Coal

Exports: 1.091 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 753,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Production: 20.97 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 20.557 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 2.174 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Total petroleum production: 4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 15 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 101,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Exports: 7.748 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 4.415 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Consumption: 34.221 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 12.939 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 1.972 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Natural Gas

Exports: 2.75 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Imports: 2.544 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Production: 10.444 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 2.607 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear Energy

Number of operational nuclear reactors: 2 (2025)
Percent of total electricity production: 40.3% (2023 est.)
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 2.01GW (2025 est.)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 4 (2025)

Electricity Access

Electrification rural areas: 99.6%
Electrification urban areas: 100%
Electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 102.171 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Wind: 4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Solar: 8.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Nuclear: 40.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 35.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 7.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Biomass and waste: 4.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 80% (2023 est.)

Broadcast media: 4 national terrestrial TV stations with 1 state-owned and 3 privately owned; a vast array of TV stations are available from cable and satellite TV providers; state-owned national radio broadcasts over 3 networks; large number of private radio stations, especially in urban areas
Internet country code: .bg

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 552,000 (2024 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2024 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 7.98 million (2024 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 118 (2024 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 2.45 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (2023 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 1
Small: 1
Medium: 0
Key ports: Burgas, Varna
Very small: 0
Total ports: 2 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 2

Airports: 107 (2025)

Railways

Total: 4,029 km (2020) 2,871 km electrified

Heliports: 8 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 78 (2023)
BY type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 13, oil tanker 8, other 55

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: LZ

Environment

Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Land Use

Other: 17.7% (2023 est.)
Forest: 36.2% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 46.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 32.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 1.3% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 12.7% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 76.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: -0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.859 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 29.8% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues: air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 838 million cubic meters (2022)
Industrial: 3.879 billion cubic meters (2022)
Agricultural: 726.434 million cubic meters (2022)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 33.465 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 5.021 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 14.486 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 13.958 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 18.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 21.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International Environmental Agreements

Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Military & Security

Military note: the Bulgarian military is responsible for guaranteeing Bulgaria’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, providing support to international peace and security missions, and contributing to national security in peacetime, including such missions as responding to disasters or assisting with border security; the military trains regularly including in multinational exercises with regional partners and with NATO since Bulgaria joined the organization in 2004; it also participates in overseas peacekeeping and other security missions under the EU, NATO, and the UN; in 2022, Bulgaria established and began leading a NATO multinational battlegroup as part of an effort to boost NATO defenses in Eastern Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; in 2021, Bulgaria approved a 10-year defense development program, which included calls for equipment upgrades and procurements, boosts in manpower, organizational reforms, and greater focus on such areas as cyber defense, communications, logistics support, and research and development

the Bulgarian military has participated in several significant conflicts since its establishment in 1878, including the Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885), the First Balkan War (1912-13), the Second Balkan War (1913), World War I (1915-1918), and World War II (1941-45); during the Cold War it was one of the Warsaw Pact’s largest militaries with over 150,000 personnel and more than 200 Soviet-made combat aircraft (2025)
Military deployments: 160 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2025)

Military Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 2.1% of GDP (2025 est.)

Military expenditures 2021: 1.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military expenditures 2022: 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military expenditures 2023: 1.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military expenditures 2024: 2% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military expenditures 2025: 2.1% of GDP (2025 est.)

Military and security forces: Bulgarian Armed Forces (aka Bulgarian Army): Land Forces, Air Force, Navy

Ministry of Interior: General Directorate National Police (GDNP), General Directorate Border Police (GDBP), Special Unit for Combating Terrorism (SOBT) (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary service for men and women (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the military's inventory consists largely of Soviet-era armaments, although in recent years Bulgaria has procured some more modern Western weapons systems in an effort to modernize and achieve NATO interoperability (2025)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 28,000 active duty Armed Forces (2025)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force

Space

Space agency/agencies: Space Research and Technology Institute - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (SRTI-BAS; formed in 1987 but originated from the Central Laboratory for Space Research and the Bulgarian Aerospace Agency, which was established in 1969) (2025)
Space program overview: has a long history of space-related activities going back to the 1960s; develops, produces, and operates satellites; researches, develops, and produces other space technologies, including those related to astrophysics, remote sensing, data exploitation, optics, and electronics; has specialized in producing scientific instruments for space research; has more than 20 research institutes; Cooperating State of the ESA since 2015; works with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of the ESA, EU, individual ESA and EU member states, India, Japan, Russia, and the US (2025)
Key space program milestones: 1960s-1990s - participated in the Soviet Interkosmos program, which included the first Bulgarian in space (1979), first domestically produced scientific satellite launched on a Soviet rocket (1981), and participation in the Soviet VEGA project (1985)

2017 - first communications satellite (BulgariaSat-1) built and launched by US

2019 - first domestically built data/educational cube satellite (EnduroSat-1) launched by US

2023 - signed the US-led Artemis Accords outlining principles for cooperation in space exploration

2025 - domestically produced, multispectral remote sensing satellite (Balkan-1) launched by US as part of EU's Copernicus Earth observation program

Transnational Issues

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Refugees: 114,728 (2024 est.)
Stateless persons: 862 (2024 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index56.0 / 100as of 2024-Q474 / 1902024-Q4

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.51as of 2024-Q459 / 1702024-Q4

Freedom House StatusPartly Free (83/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (65/100)as of 2024—2024

Cite this page

Cite this pageAPA · BibTeX · Chicago · JSON

Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Bulgaria — vintage 2026-Q1: Bulgaria factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/bulgaria

Download as JSON

Sources: Eurostat, FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

Bulgaria

Area

Land Use

Elevation

Land Boundaries

Maritime Claims

Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)

Languages

Sex Ratio

Median Age

Population

Nationality

Tobacco Use

Urbanization

Age Structure

Dependency Ratios

Health Expenditure

Drinking Water Source

Education Expenditure

Infant Mortality Rate

Life Expectancy at Birth

Sanitation Facility Access

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

How power is organised

Capital

Citizenship

Constitution

Country Name

Judicial Branch

Executive Branch

National Heritage

Legislative Branch

National Anthem(s)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Diplomatic Representation from the US

National Assembly

Current

Rumen Radev

Rosen Zhelyazkov

Budget

Exports

Imports

Public Debt

Remittances

Exchange Rates

Debt External

Unemployment Rate

Real GDP Per Capita

Real GDP Growth Rate

Current Account Balance

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Average Household Expenditures

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Coal

Petroleum

Electricity

Natural Gas

Nuclear Energy

Electricity Access

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Electricity Generation Sources

Internet Users

Telephones Fixed Lines

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Ports

Railways

Merchant Marine

Land Use

Urbanization

Waste and Recycling

Total Water Withdrawal

Carbon Dioxide Emissions