Unemployment rates by citizenship in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Unemployment rates by citizenship was 3.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rates by citizenship in Bulgaria, 2000–2025
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rates by citizenship in Bulgaria is 3.5%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of down 16.7% on the previous year and down 62.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates by citizenship in Bulgaria peaked at 19.9% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 3.5%, in 2025.
That places Bulgaria 43rd out of 47 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Unemployment rates by citizenship in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Percentage | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.2% | — |
| 2001 | 19.9% | +22.8% |
| 2002 | 18.1% | -9.0% |
| 2003 | 13.8% | -23.8% |
| 2004 | 12.1% | -12.3% |
| 2005 | 10.1% | -16.5% |
| 2006 | 9.0% | -10.9% |
| 2007 | 6.9% | -23.3% |
| 2008 | 5.6% | -18.8% |
| 2009 | 6.8% | +21.4% |
| 2010 | 10.3% | +51.5% |
| 2011 | 11.3% | +9.7% |
| 2012 | 12.3% | +8.8% |
| 2013 | 13.0% | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 11.4% | -12.3% |
| 2015 | 9.2% | -19.3% |
| 2016 | 7.6% | -17.4% |
| 2017 | 6.2% | -18.4% |
| 2018 | 5.2% | -16.1% |
| 2019 | 4.2% | -19.2% |
| 2020 | 5.0% | +19.0% |
| 2021 | 5.2% | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 4.2% | -19.2% |
| 2023 | 4.3% | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 4.2% | -2.3% |
| 2025 | 3.5% | -16.7% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 3.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.0%, 58% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 3.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.4%, 65% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rates by citizenship 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +51.5% | 6.8% | 10.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.8% | 5.6% | 19.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.1% | 4.2% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.4% | 3.5% | 5.2% | 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 unemployment rates by citizenship in Bulgaria?
- Unemployment rates by citizenship in Bulgaria was 3.5% in 2025, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest unemployment rates by citizenship recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 19.9% in 2001.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates by citizenship recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.5% in 2025.
- How does Bulgaria rank for unemployment rates by citizenship?
- Bulgaria ranks 43rd out of 47 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rates by citizenship rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 62.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Unemployment rates by citizenship. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).