Labor force participation rate in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Labor force participation rate was 56.12 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
56.12
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
133rd
of 186 countries
All-time high
56.9
in 2023
All-time low
49.44
in 1996
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Bulgaria, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate in Bulgaria stood at 56.12.
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 in Bulgaria peaked at 56.9 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 49.44, in 1996.
That places Bulgaria 133rd out of 186 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 in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 50.26 | — |
| 1991 | 50.14 | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 50.06 | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 49.91 | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 49.79 | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 49.66 | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 49.44 | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 50.01 | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 49.79 | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 50.18 | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 49.95 | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 51.47 | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 50.96 | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 50.16 | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 50.91 | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 50.13 | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 52.01 | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 53.55 | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 54.86 | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 54.1 | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 53.5 | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 52.55 | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 53.17 | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 53.94 | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 53.97 | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 54.21 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 53.31 | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 55.41 | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 55.32 | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 56.66 | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 55.88 | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 55.39 | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 56.73 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 56.9 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 56.27 | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 56.12 | -0.3% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 56.12 is below the median for high income countries, which is 62.28, 90% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 56.12 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 60.23, 93% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 49.93 | 49.44 | 50.26 | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.81 | 49.95 | 54.86 | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.2 | 52.55 | 56.66 | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.22 | 55.39 | 56.9 | 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 in Bulgaria?
- Labor force participation rate in Bulgaria was 56.12 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 56.9 in 2023.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.44 in 1996.
- How does Bulgaria rank for labor force participation rate?
- Bulgaria ranks 133rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).