Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) was 59.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
59.3%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
137th
of 174 countries
All-time high
60.1%
in 2019
All-time low
44.9%
in 2001
Years of data
27
1997–2025

Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Bulgaria, 1997–2025

02040601997201120251997: 492000: 46.92001: 44.92002: 45.52003: 47.62004: 49.12005: 49.72006: 51.82007: 54.42008: 56.52009: 54.92010: 532011: 51.12012: 50.82013: 51.42014: 52.72015: 54.12016: 54.62017: 57.82018: 58.42019: 60.12020: 58.82021: 582022: 59.42023: 59.42024: 59.42025: 59.3

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

Bulgaria recorded 59.3% for employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 9.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Bulgaria peaked at 60.1% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 44.9%, in 2001.

That places Bulgaria 137th out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate) in Bulgaria, 1997 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1997 49.0%
2000 46.9% -4.3%
2001 44.9% -4.3%
2002 45.5% +1.3%
2003 47.6% +4.7%
2004 49.1% +3.2%
2005 49.7% +1.2%
2006 51.8% +4.1%
2007 54.4% +5.0%
2008 56.5% +3.9%
2009 54.9% -2.9%
2010 53.0% -3.5%
2011 51.1% -3.6%
2012 50.8% -0.6%
2013 51.4% +1.1%
2014 52.7% +2.6%
2015 54.1% +2.7%
2016 54.6% +0.9%
2017 57.8% +5.7%
2018 58.4% +1.1%
2019 60.1% +2.9%
2020 58.8% -2.2%
2021 58.0% -1.2%
2022 59.4% +2.4%
2023 59.4% +0.0%
2024 59.4% -0.0%
2025 59.3% -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 49.0% 49.0% 49.0% 1
2000s 50.1% 44.9% 56.5% 10
2010s 54.4% 50.8% 60.1% 10
2020s 59.1% 58.0% 59.4% 6

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 135 Trinidad and Tobago 60.0% compare
  2. 136 Hong Kong, China 59.6% compare
  3. 138 Iraq 58.5% compare
  4. 139 New Caledonia 58.4% compare
  5. 140 Finland 57.7% compare
  6. 140 Romania 57.7% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More work & labour data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Bulgaria?
Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Bulgaria was 59.3% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 60.1% in 2019.
What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 44.9% in 2001.
How does Bulgaria rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%)?
Bulgaria ranks 137th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-to-population-ratio-15-male-percent-national-estimate/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
196 places, 4,684 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.