Persons outside the labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Persons outside the labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) was 2,472 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Persons outside the labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Bulgaria, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, persons outside the labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in Bulgaria stood at 2,472.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, persons outside the labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in Bulgaria peaked at 2,856 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 2,442, in 2023.
Bulgaria ranks 36th of 70 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Persons outside the labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2,851 | — |
| 2015 | 2,835 | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 2,856 | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 2,708 | -5.2% |
| 2018 | 2,686 | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 2,498 | -7.0% |
| 2020 | 2,522 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 2,536 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 2,464 | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 2,442 | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 2,450 | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 2,472 | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 2,739 | 2,498 | 2,856 | 6 |
| 2020s | 2,481 | 2,442 | 2,536 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 33 Israel 2,691 compare
- 34 Switzerland 2,491 compare
- 35 Serbia 2,477 compare
- 37 El Salvador 2,310 compare
- 38 United Arab Emirates 2,160 compare
- 39 Costa Rica 1,876 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 persons outside the labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in Bulgaria?
- Persons outside the labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in Bulgaria was 2,472 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest persons outside the labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 2,856 in 2016.
- What is the lowest persons outside the labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,442 in 2023.
- How does Bulgaria rank for persons outside the labour force (current ilo definition - icls19)?
- Bulgaria ranks 36th out of 70 countries with data for 2025.
- Is persons outside the labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.8%. 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 Persons outside the labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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. Persons outside the labour force comprise all persons of working age who, during the specified reference period, were not in the labour force (that is, were not employed or unemployed). For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.