Employment outside the formal sector in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Employment outside the formal sector was 124.3 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment outside the formal sector in Bulgaria, 2007–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment outside the formal sector in Bulgaria is 124.3, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 2.0% on the previous year and down 40.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment outside the formal sector in Bulgaria peaked at 413.66 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 105.98, in 2020.
That places Bulgaria 62nd out of 81 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Employment outside the formal sector in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 273.74 | — |
| 2008 | 413.66 | +51.1% |
| 2009 | 310.19 | -25.0% |
| 2010 | 290.37 | -6.4% |
| 2011 | 240.02 | -17.3% |
| 2012 | 204.61 | -14.8% |
| 2013 | 246.12 | +20.3% |
| 2014 | 215.88 | -12.3% |
| 2015 | 210.25 | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 227.61 | +8.3% |
| 2017 | 120.31 | -47.1% |
| 2018 | 137.57 | +14.3% |
| 2019 | 121.08 | -12.0% |
| 2020 | 105.98 | -12.5% |
| 2021 | 140.99 | +33.0% |
| 2022 | 116.61 | -17.3% |
| 2023 | 109.53 | -6.1% |
| 2024 | 121.9 | +11.3% |
| 2025 | 124.3 | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 332.53 | 273.74 | 413.66 | 3 |
| 2010s | 201.38 | 120.31 | 290.37 | 10 |
| 2020s | 119.89 | 105.98 | 140.99 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More work & labour data for Bulgaria
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7248 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7055 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7441 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.5 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.5166 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,606 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 817.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1,761 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1,770 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 3,531 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment outside the formal sector in Bulgaria?
- Employment outside the formal sector in Bulgaria was 124.3 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 413.66 in 2008.
- What is the lowest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 105.98 in 2020.
- How does Bulgaria rank for employment outside the formal sector?
- Bulgaria ranks 62nd out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. This harmonized series for employment outside the formal sector is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. Data disaggregated by occupation are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Data may have been regrouped from the national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCO. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.