Labour force in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Labour force was 3,321 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
3,321
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
36th
of 57 countries
All-time high
3,997
in 2009
All-time low
3,321
in 2025
Years of data
19
2007–2025

Labour force in Bulgaria, 2007–2025

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k2007201620252007: 3.9k2008: 4.0k2009: 4.0k2010: 3.9k2011: 3.9k2012: 3.7k2013: 3.8k2014: 3.8k2015: 3.7k2016: 3.7k2017: 3.7k2018: 3.6k2019: 3.6k2020: 3.6k2021: 3.6k2022: 3.6k2023: 3.3k2024: 3.3k2025: 3.3k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Bulgaria recorded 3,321 for labour force in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.

The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 10.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labour force in Bulgaria peaked at 3,997 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 3,321, in 2025.

Bulgaria ranks 36th of 57 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 3,938 3,853 3,997 3
2010s 3,733 3,607 3,947 10
2020s 3,466 3,321 3,627 6

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 33 Israel 4,460 compare
  2. 34 Austria 4,361 compare
  3. 35 Togo 3,432 compare
  4. 37 Serbia 3,198 compare
  5. 38 Denmark 2,844 compare
  6. 39 Slovak Republic 2,750 compare

See the full ranking of 57 places →

More work & labour data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is labour force in Bulgaria?
Labour force in Bulgaria was 3,321 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest labour force recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 3,997 in 2009.
What is the lowest labour force recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 3,321 in 2025.
How does Bulgaria rank for labour force?
Bulgaria ranks 36th out of 57 countries with data for 2025.
Is labour force rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labour force in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labour-force-previous-ilo-definition-icls13/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
57 places, 865 data points, 1996–2025
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The labour force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed. The term disability, as defined in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), is used as an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. For measurement purposes, a person with disability is defined as a person who is limited in the kind or amount of activities that he or she can do because of ongoing difficulties due to a long-term physical condition, mental condition or health problem. For more information, refer to the Disability Labour Market Indicators (DLMI) database description.