Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 56.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bulgaria, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bulgaria stood at 56.1%.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bulgaria peaked at 56.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 49.4%, in 1996.
That places Bulgaria 134th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 50.3% | — |
| 1991 | 50.1% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 50.1% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 49.9% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 49.8% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 49.7% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 49.4% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 50.0% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 49.8% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 50.2% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 50.0% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 51.5% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 51.0% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 50.2% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 50.9% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 50.1% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 52.0% | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 53.5% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 54.9% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 54.1% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 53.5% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 52.6% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 53.2% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 53.9% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 54.0% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 54.2% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 53.3% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 55.4% | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 55.3% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 56.7% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 55.9% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 55.4% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 56.7% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 56.9% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 56.3% | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 56.1% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 49.9% | 49.4% | 50.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.8% | 50.0% | 54.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.2% | 52.6% | 56.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.2% | 55.4% | 56.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 131 New Caledonia 56.4% compare
- 132 Hong Kong, China 56.4% compare
- 132 Channel Islands 56.4% compare
- 135 Comoros 55.8% compare
- 136 India 55.7% compare
- 137 South Africa 55.6% 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, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bulgaria?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Bulgaria was 56.1% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 56.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.4% in 1996.
- How does Bulgaria rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Bulgaria ranks 134th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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, total (% of total population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.