LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for was 5.34 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
5.34
Change on year
down 3.6%
World rank
45th
of 65 countries
All-time high
24.56
in 2001
All-time low
5.34
in 2024
Years of data
24
2001–2024

LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for in Bulgaria, 2001–2024

5101520252001201220242001: 24.62002: 24.12003: 21.32004: 19.32005: 17.72006: 15.22007: 11.62008: 9.32009: 10.62010: 142011: 15.72012: 15.92013: 15.52014: 14.92015: 12.62016: 11.52017: 9.22018: 7.62019: 5.82020: 6.92021: 7.32022: 6.12023: 5.52024: 5.3

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Bulgaria recorded 5.34 for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.6% on the previous year and down 64.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for in Bulgaria peaked at 24.56 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 5.34, in 2024.

Bulgaria ranks 45th of 65 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for persons ages 25 to 54 (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Bulgaria, 2001 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2001 24.56
2002 24.14 -1.7%
2003 21.29 -11.8%
2004 19.3 -9.3%
2005 17.71 -8.2%
2006 15.17 -14.4%
2007 11.6 -23.6%
2008 9.29 -19.9%
2009 10.55 +13.6%
2010 14.01 +32.8%
2011 15.67 +11.8%
2012 15.88 +1.3%
2013 15.54 -2.1%
2014 14.92 -4.0%
2015 12.59 -15.6%
2016 11.51 -8.6%
2017 9.24 -19.7%
2018 7.55 -18.3%
2019 5.8 -23.2%
2020 6.92 +19.3%
2021 7.3 +5.5%
2022 6.15 -15.8%
2023 5.54 -9.9%
2024 5.34 -3.6%

Bulgaria compared with similar countries

  • Bulgaria's 5.34 is below the median for high income countries, which is 6.97, 77% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
  • Bulgaria's 5.34 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.16, 65% of the median. (30 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 17.07 9.29 24.56 9
2010s 12.27 5.8 15.88 10
2020s 6.25 5.34 7.3 5

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 42 Romania 6.54 compare
  2. 43 Belgium 5.76 compare
  3. 44 Ireland 5.52 compare
  4. 46 Bolivia 5.32 compare
  5. 47 Germany 5.21 compare
  6. 48 Iran 5.14 compare

See the full ranking of 65 places →

More work & labour data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for in Bulgaria?
Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for in Bulgaria was 5.34 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 24.56 in 2001.
What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 5.34 in 2024.
How does Bulgaria rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for?
Bulgaria ranks 45th out of 65 countries with data for 2024.
Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is down 64.2%. 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 for persons ages 25 to 54 (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu3-combined-rate-of-unemployment-and-potential-labour-force-for-persons-ages-25-to-54/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force for persons ages 25 to 54 (previous ILO definition - ICLS13)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
65 places, 981 data points, 2000–2025
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. LU3 represents the share of the extended labour force, in this case for persons of prime age (i.e., persons ages 25 to 54), that are in unemployment or the potential labour force. For more information, refer to the Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination Indicators (GEND) database description.