Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 5.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Bulgaria, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Bulgaria stood at 5.7%. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.9% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Bulgaria peaked at 15.5% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 5.7%, in 2023.
Bulgaria ranks 131st of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 15.5% | — |
| 1992 | 15.1% | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 15.1% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 15.2% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 15.2% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 14.9% | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 14.5% | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 14.1% | -3.0% |
| 1999 | 13.8% | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 13.2% | -4.2% |
| 2001 | 9.7% | -26.5% |
| 2002 | 10.7% | +10.4% |
| 2003 | 11.1% | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 10.7% | -3.5% |
| 2005 | 8.9% | -16.8% |
| 2006 | 8.1% | -9.3% |
| 2007 | 7.5% | -7.0% |
| 2008 | 7.5% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 7.1% | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 6.8% | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 6.8% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 6.4% | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 6.7% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 7.0% | +5.2% |
| 2015 | 6.9% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 6.8% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 7.0% | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 6.6% | -6.2% |
| 2019 | 6.6% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 6.6% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 6.3% | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 6.4% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 5.7% | -11.9% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 5.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.6%, 2.2× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 5.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.9%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | -26.5% | 13.2% | 9.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.8% | 13.8% | 15.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 9.5% | 7.1% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.8% | 6.4% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.2% | 5.7% | 6.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 128 Oman 6.1% compare
- 129 Montenegro 6.0% compare
- 130 Russian Federation 5.7% compare
- 132 New Zealand 5.6% compare
- 133 Korea 5.3% compare
- 134 Mauritius 5.3% compare
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 share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Bulgaria?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Bulgaria was 5.7% in 2023, according to ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 15.5% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7% in 2023.
- How does Bulgaria rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Bulgaria ranks 131st out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of people employed in agriculture includes working-age people with a job in farming, forestry, fishing, and related activities, including those temporarily absent.