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Population Review

Rank #30 by World Population

🇧🇬Bulgaria

Bulgaria has a population of 6,446,596, ranking #30 in the world. The capital is Sofia. Located in Europe & Central Asia.

World Bank: High income

6,446,596

Population

#30

World Rank

75.8

Life Expectancy

$15,853

GDP Per Capita

Bulgaria, #30 by world population

Bulgaria Population History (1960-2024)

The country of Bulgaria had a population of 7,867,374 in 1960 and 6,441,421 in 2024, a -18.1% growth over 64 years. The peak was 8,981,446 in 1988. Average annual growth rate: -0.31%.

1988 · 9.0M19602024

6,441,421

Population (2024)

7,867,374

Population (1960)

8,981,446

Peak (1988)

-0.31%

Avg Annual Growth

YearPopulation
19607,867,374
19617,943,118
19628,012,946
19638,078,145
19648,144,340
19658,204,168
19668,258,057
19678,310,226
19688,369,603
19698,434,172
19708,489,574
19718,536,395
19728,576,200
19738,620,967
19748,678,745
19758,720,742
19768,758,599
19778,804,183
19788,814,032
19798,825,940
19808,861,535
19818,891,117
19828,917,457
19838,939,738
19848,960,679
19858,960,547
19868,958,171
19878,971,359
19888,981,446
19898,876,972
19908,718,289
19918,632,367
19928,540,164
19938,472,313
19948,443,591
19958,406,067
19968,362,826
19978,312,068
19988,256,786
19998,210,624
20008,170,172
20018,009,142
20027,837,161
20037,775,327
20047,716,860
20057,658,972
20067,601,022
20077,545,338
20087,492,561
20097,444,443
20107,395,599
20117,348,328
20127,305,888
20137,160,005
20147,073,572
20156,984,225
20166,894,139
20176,803,468
20186,710,798
20196,616,726
20206,550,696
20216,507,301
20226,465,097
20236,446,596
20246,441,421

Demographics

Population6,446,596
Population Growth Rate-0.29%
Urban Population73.7%
Fertility Rate1.81 births/woman
Life Expectancy75.8 years
Infant Mortality Rate4.8 per 1,000
Literacy Rate-

Economy & Trade

$15,853

GDP Per Capita

4.3%

Unemployment Rate

High income

Income Level

39.5

Gini Index (inequality)

119.9%

Trade (% of GDP)

4,973,000

Tourism Arrivals

Health & Education

7.9%

Health Expenditure (% GDP)

4.33

Physicians per 1,000

4.8

Infant Mortality (per 1,000)

Development & Connectivity

100.0%

Electricity Access

79.1%

Internet Users

115

Mobile Subs per 100

59.4

People per km2

5,173

Net Migration

Environment

36.2%

Forest Area

Other Countries in Europe & Central Asia

AlbaniaAndorraArmeniaAustriaAzerbaijan

Compare Bulgaria

vs Afghanistanvs Albaniavs Algeriavs American Samoa

Bulgaria in global context

Bulgaria is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.

World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →

Other related entities

Albania (2,414,095)Andorra (80,856)Armenia (2,964,300)Austria (9,131,761)Azerbaijan (10,153,958)All countries →

Country rankings

Populated Countries in the WorldCountries With Highest GDP Per CapitaCountries With Highest Life ExpectancyCountries With Highest Fertility RatesCountries With Highest Literacy RatesUrbanized Countries in the WorldFastest Growing Countries by PopulationCountries With Highest Infant MortalityCountries With Highest Income InequalityCountries With Most International TourismAll rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

Bulgaria has a population of 6,446,596, ranking #30 in the world. The annual population growth rate is -0.29%.

Life expectancy in Bulgaria is 75.8 years. The infant mortality rate is 4.8 per 1,000 live births.

Bulgaria's GDP per capita is $15,853. It is classified as a high income country by the World Bank.

73.7% of Bulgaria's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 59.4 people per square kilometer.

Literacy data for Bulgaria is available from the World Bank.

Sources: World Bank Open Data

International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.

For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.

The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.

Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.