Urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Urban population vs. female labor force participation rate was 74.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
74.2%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
90th
of 236 countries
All-time high
74.2%
in 2025
All-time low
27.1%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Bulgaria, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Bulgaria is 74.2%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Bulgaria peaked at 74.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 27.1%, in 1950.
Bulgaria ranks 90th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 27.1% | — |
| 1951 | 28.0% | +3.2% |
| 1952 | 28.8% | +2.9% |
| 1953 | 29.7% | +3.2% |
| 1954 | 30.8% | +3.4% |
| 1955 | 31.6% | +2.9% |
| 1956 | 33.1% | +4.5% |
| 1957 | 34.0% | +2.7% |
| 1958 | 34.8% | +2.4% |
| 1959 | 35.7% | +2.7% |
| 1960 | 37.1% | +4.0% |
| 1961 | 38.4% | +3.5% |
| 1962 | 39.3% | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 40.3% | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 43.0% | +6.9% |
| 1965 | 45.7% | +6.2% |
| 1966 | 47.0% | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 48.0% | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 49.0% | +2.1% |
| 1969 | 50.6% | +3.2% |
| 1970 | 52.3% | +3.4% |
| 1971 | 53.8% | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 55.2% | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 56.3% | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 58.1% | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 58.0% | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 58.5% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 59.4% | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 60.5% | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 61.5% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 62.1% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 63.0% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 63.9% | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 64.6% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 65.6% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 65.0% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 65.3% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 66.0% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 66.7% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 67.3% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 67.0% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 67.1% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 67.2% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 67.4% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 67.7% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 67.8% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 67.7% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 67.7% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 67.9% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 68.0% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 68.3% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 69.2% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 69.5% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 69.8% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 69.9% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 70.1% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 70.5% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 70.7% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 70.9% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 71.3% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 71.5% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 72.6% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 72.8% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 73.0% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 73.1% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 73.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 73.2% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 73.4% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 73.6% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 73.7% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 73.3% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 73.3% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 73.5% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 73.7% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 73.9% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 74.2% | +0.3% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 74.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 91% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 74.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 69.6%, 1.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 31.4% | 27.1% | 35.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 43.8% | 37.1% | 50.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 57.4% | 52.3% | 61.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 65.0% | 62.1% | 67.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 67.6% | 67.0% | 68.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.0% | 68.3% | 71.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.0% | 71.5% | 73.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.7% | 73.3% | 74.2% | 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 urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Bulgaria?
- Urban population vs. female labor force participation rate in Bulgaria was 74.2% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest urban population vs. female labor force participation rate recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 74.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population vs. female labor force participation rate recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.1% in 1950.
- How does Bulgaria rank for urban population vs. female labor force participation rate?
- Bulgaria ranks 90th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population vs. female labor force participation rate rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Urban population vs. female labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 76 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.