Persons outside the labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Persons outside the labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 2,472 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Persons outside the labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Bulgaria, 2006–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, persons outside the labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Bulgaria stood at 2,472.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and down 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, persons outside the labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Bulgaria peaked at 3,243 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 2,442, in 2023.
That places Bulgaria 39th out of 75 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.
Persons outside the labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 3,243 | — |
| 2007 | 3,148 | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 3,056 | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 3,094 | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 2,992 | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 3,022 | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 2,956 | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 2,883 | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 2,851 | -1.1% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3,135 | 3,056 | 3,243 | 4 |
| 2010s | 2,829 | 2,498 | 3,022 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,481 | 2,442 | 2,536 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 36 Dominican Republic 2,755 compare
- 37 Israel 2,500 compare
- 38 Switzerland 2,491 compare
- 40 Cambodia 2,427 compare
- 41 Serbia 2,298 compare
- 42 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 2,165 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 (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Bulgaria?
- Persons outside the labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Bulgaria was 2,472 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest persons outside the labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 3,243 in 2006.
- What is the lowest persons outside the labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,442 in 2023.
- How does Bulgaria rank for persons outside the labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- Bulgaria ranks 39th out of 75 countries with data for 2025.
- Is persons outside the labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) 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 (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (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 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. 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 International Labour Migration Statistics (ILMS) database description.