Employee compensation as share of government spending in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 18.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Bulgaria, 1990–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employee compensation as share of government spending in Bulgaria is 18.0%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 12.9% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Bulgaria peaked at 20.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 1990.
Bulgaria ranks 107th of 155 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3.2% | — |
| 1991 | 4.3% | +34.1% |
| 1992 | 6.2% | +43.5% |
| 1993 | 6.0% | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 5.9% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 10.1% | +70.6% |
| 1996 | 7.8% | -22.9% |
| 1997 | 12.9% | +65.7% |
| 1998 | 19.0% | +46.6% |
| 1999 | 19.0% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 20.4% | +7.6% |
| 2001 | 18.3% | -10.2% |
| 2002 | 19.2% | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 19.7% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 19.7% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 19.7% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 20.2% | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 18.3% | -9.0% |
| 2008 | 19.6% | +6.9% |
| 2009 | 19.4% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 20.0% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 20.0% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 19.1% | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 19.3% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 17.2% | -11.1% |
| 2015 | 18.6% | +8.2% |
| 2016 | 18.3% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 18.8% | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 18.3% | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 19.6% | +7.5% |
| 2020 | 19.2% | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 18.4% | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 16.0% | -13.3% |
| 2023 | 18.0% | +12.9% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 18.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 18.9%, 95% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 18.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 16.4%, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Employee compensation as share of government spending in Bulgaria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +70.6% | 5.9% | 10.1% |
| 1997 | +65.7% | 7.8% | 12.9% |
| 1998 | +46.6% | 12.9% | 19.0% |
| 1992 | +43.5% | 4.3% | 6.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.5% | 3.2% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.5% | 18.3% | 20.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.9% | 17.2% | 20.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.9% | 16.0% | 19.2% | 4 |
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 employee compensation as share of government spending in Bulgaria?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Bulgaria was 18.0% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 20.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 1990.
- How does Bulgaria rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Bulgaria ranks 107th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.