LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 5.22 in 2025. ▼ Falling
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Bulgaria, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Bulgaria is 5.22, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.
That represents a change of down 12.4% on the previous year and down 65.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Bulgaria peaked at 17.7 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 5.22, in 2025.
That places Bulgaria 54th out of 63 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 17.7 | — |
| 2015 | 14.91 | -15.8% |
| 2016 | 13.56 | -9.1% |
| 2017 | 10.42 | -23.2% |
| 2018 | 8.87 | -14.9% |
| 2019 | 7.02 | -20.8% |
| 2020 | 7.93 | +12.9% |
| 2021 | 8.56 | +7.9% |
| 2022 | 7.05 | -17.6% |
| 2023 | 6.53 | -7.4% |
| 2024 | 5.96 | -8.8% |
| 2025 | 5.22 | -12.4% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 5.22 is below the median for high income countries, which is 7.94, 66% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 5.22 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.47, 62% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 12.08 | 7.02 | 17.7 | 6 |
| 2020s | 6.87 | 5.22 | 8.56 | 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 lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Bulgaria?
- Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Bulgaria was 5.22 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 17.7 in 2014.
- What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.22 in 2025.
- How does Bulgaria rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force?
- Bulgaria ranks 54th out of 63 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 65.0%. 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 LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
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 includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. LU3 represents the share of the extended labour force that are in unemployment or the potential labour force. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.