Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) was 22.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Bulgaria, 1965–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 22.9% for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 30 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 24.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Bulgaria peaked at 54.7% in 1965 and was at its lowest, 22.9%, in 2025.
That places Bulgaria 171st out of 173 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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, male (%) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 54.7% | — |
| 1975 | 46.3% | -15.3% |
| 1992 | 44.0% | -4.9% |
| 1997 | 32.6% | -26.0% |
| 2000 | 35.9% | +10.3% |
| 2001 | 36.8% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 35.1% | -4.8% |
| 2003 | 32.7% | -6.7% |
| 2004 | 33.3% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 31.1% | -6.5% |
| 2006 | 31.3% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 31.7% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 34.0% | +7.1% |
| 2009 | 34.0% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 35.5% | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 33.9% | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 35.3% | +4.2% |
| 2013 | 34.3% | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 31.5% | -8.1% |
| 2015 | 30.5% | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 28.0% | -8.2% |
| 2017 | 30.5% | +9.1% |
| 2018 | 27.8% | -8.8% |
| 2019 | 27.7% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 25.2% | -8.8% |
| 2021 | 23.7% | -5.9% |
| 2022 | 25.5% | +7.3% |
| 2023 | 24.4% | -4.3% |
| 2024 | 23.7% | -2.7% |
| 2025 | 22.9% | -3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 54.7% | 54.7% | 54.7% | 1 |
| 1970s | 46.3% | 46.3% | 46.3% | 1 |
| 1990s | 38.3% | 32.6% | 44.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 33.6% | 31.1% | 36.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.5% | 27.7% | 35.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.2% | 22.9% | 25.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 168 Azerbaijan 25.2% compare
- 169 Bhutan 24.7% compare
- 170 Timor-Leste 23.1% compare
- 172 Liberia 22.0% compare
- 173 Republic of Korea 20.5% compare
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, male (%) in Bulgaria?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Bulgaria was 22.9% 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, male (%) recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 54.7% in 1965.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.9% in 2025.
- How does Bulgaria rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%)?
- Bulgaria ranks 171st out of 173 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.9%. 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, male (%) (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.