Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals was 13.3% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria, 1988–2022
Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total freshwater withdrawal.
Analysis
The most recent figure for agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria is 13.3%, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 5.2% on the previous year and down 19.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria peaked at 29.2% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 11.3%, in 2002.
Bulgaria ranks 141st of 180 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 24.5% | — |
| 1989 | 22.1% | -9.8% |
| 1990 | 29.2% | +32.2% |
| 1991 | 28.4% | -2.8% |
| 1992 | 27.5% | -3.0% |
| 1993 | 26.7% | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 25.7% | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 24.8% | -3.7% |
| 1996 | 23.8% | -4.0% |
| 1997 | 22.8% | -4.4% |
| 1998 | 21.7% | -4.8% |
| 1999 | 20.5% | -5.3% |
| 2000 | 19.3% | -5.8% |
| 2001 | 14.8% | -23.2% |
| 2002 | 11.3% | -24.0% |
| 2003 | 16.0% | +41.5% |
| 2004 | 13.6% | -14.6% |
| 2005 | 13.6% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 13.6% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 11.3% | -17.0% |
| 2008 | 15.8% | +40.2% |
| 2009 | 16.3% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 15.8% | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 16.4% | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 16.6% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 15.1% | -9.2% |
| 2014 | 13.5% | -10.4% |
| 2015 | 14.7% | +8.9% |
| 2016 | 16.0% | +8.3% |
| 2017 | 14.8% | -7.5% |
| 2018 | 13.3% | -9.6% |
| 2019 | 11.5% | -14.2% |
| 2020 | 13.1% | +14.4% |
| 2021 | 14.1% | +7.5% |
| 2022 | 13.3% | -5.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 23.3% | 22.1% | 24.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 25.1% | 20.5% | 29.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.6% | 11.3% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.8% | 11.5% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.5% | 13.1% | 14.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More agriculture & rural data for Bulgaria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 21.46 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0247 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 503.12 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9803 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2583 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria?
- Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria was 13.3% in 2022, according to AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 29.2% in 1990.
- What is the lowest agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.3% in 2002.
- How does Bulgaria rank for agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- Bulgaria ranks 141st out of 180 countries with data for 2022.
- Is agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Agricultural water withdrawals as a percentage of total water withdrawals (which is the sum of water used for agriculture, industry and domestic purposes). Agricultural water is defined as the annual quantity of self-supplied water withdrawn for irrigation, livestock and aquaculture purposes.