Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 … female national in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 … female national was 15.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) in Bulgaria, 1965–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 15.0% for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 30 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and down 29.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) in Bulgaria peaked at 56.7% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 15.0%, in 2025.
Bulgaria ranks 163rd of 174 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 … female national in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 50.7% | — |
| 1975 | 56.7% | +12.0% |
| 1992 | 50.4% | -11.2% |
| 1997 | 29.6% | -41.2% |
| 2000 | 25.6% | -13.4% |
| 2001 | 32.6% | +27.0% |
| 2002 | 28.6% | -12.2% |
| 2003 | 25.7% | -10.2% |
| 2004 | 25.6% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 24.5% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 26.4% | +7.5% |
| 2007 | 26.0% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 26.1% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 24.8% | -4.9% |
| 2010 | 26.6% | +7.2% |
| 2011 | 24.8% | -6.7% |
| 2012 | 25.3% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 24.7% | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 22.6% | -8.3% |
| 2015 | 21.2% | -6.5% |
| 2016 | 19.6% | -7.6% |
| 2017 | 21.8% | +11.6% |
| 2018 | 19.3% | -11.6% |
| 2019 | 20.1% | +4.0% |
| 2020 | 18.2% | -9.5% |
| 2021 | 15.3% | -15.6% |
| 2022 | 17.7% | +15.7% |
| 2023 | 18.2% | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 15.5% | -14.6% |
| 2025 | 15.0% | -3.4% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 15.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 36.2%, 41% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 15.0% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 32.2%, 47% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 50.7% | 50.7% | 50.7% | 1 |
| 1970s | 56.7% | 56.7% | 56.7% | 1 |
| 1990s | 40.0% | 29.6% | 50.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 26.6% | 24.5% | 32.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.6% | 19.3% | 26.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.7% | 15.0% | 18.2% | 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 labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) in Bulgaria?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) in Bulgaria was 15.0% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 56.7% in 1975.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.0% in 2025.
- How does Bulgaria rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%)?
- Bulgaria ranks 163rd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 is the proportion of the population ages 15-24 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.