Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 19.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Bulgaria, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Bulgaria is 19.5%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 24.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Bulgaria peaked at 34.8% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 19.5%, in 2025.
That places Bulgaria 181st out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 28.7% | — |
| 1991 | 29.7% | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 30.5% | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 30.6% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 30.3% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 29.9% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 29.2% | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 31.1% | +6.4% |
| 1998 | 30.5% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 31.6% | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 30.9% | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 34.8% | +12.4% |
| 2002 | 31.9% | -8.2% |
| 2003 | 29.3% | -8.2% |
| 2004 | 29.6% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 27.9% | -5.6% |
| 2006 | 28.9% | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 28.9% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 30.1% | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 29.6% | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 31.2% | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 29.5% | -5.5% |
| 2012 | 30.4% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 29.7% | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 27.2% | -8.2% |
| 2015 | 26.0% | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 23.9% | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 26.3% | +10.1% |
| 2018 | 23.7% | -9.9% |
| 2019 | 24.0% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 21.8% | -9.1% |
| 2021 | 19.7% | -9.8% |
| 2022 | 21.7% | +10.5% |
| 2023 | 21.4% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 19.7% | -7.7% |
| 2025 | 19.5% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.2% | 28.7% | 31.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.2% | 27.9% | 34.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.2% | 23.7% | 31.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.6% | 19.5% | 21.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 178 Puerto Rico 21.7% compare
- 179 Sao Tome and Principe 21.2% compare
- 180 Mauritania 20.1% compare
- 182 Tajikistan 19.3% compare
- 183 Gabon 17.8% compare
- 184 Libya 16.7% 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, total (%) in Bulgaria?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Bulgaria was 19.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 34.8% in 2001.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.5% in 2025.
- How does Bulgaria rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- Bulgaria ranks 181st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO 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.