Number of people employed in agriculture in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Number of people employed in agriculture was 145,884 people in 2025. ▼ Falling
Number of people employed in agriculture in Bulgaria, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people employed in agriculture in Bulgaria is 145,884 people, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 29.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people employed in agriculture in Bulgaria peaked at 408,112 people in 1998 and was at its lowest, 145,884 people, in 2025.
That places Bulgaria 127th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Number of people employed in agriculture in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 295,383 people | — |
| 1992 | 291,801 people | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 303,208 people | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 334,010 people | +10.2% |
| 1995 | 359,403 people | +7.6% |
| 1996 | 369,972 people | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 387,797 people | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 408,112 people | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 392,483 people | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 372,589 people | -5.1% |
| 2001 | 268,548 people | -27.9% |
| 2002 | 299,348 people | +11.5% |
| 2003 | 322,163 people | +7.6% |
| 2004 | 320,745 people | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 267,656 people | -16.6% |
| 2006 | 253,877 people | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 247,290 people | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 257,914 people | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 225,154 people | -12.7% |
| 2010 | 206,680 people | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 192,795 people | -6.7% |
| 2012 | 192,832 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 191,150 people | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 216,283 people | +13.1% |
| 2015 | 207,140 people | -4.2% |
| 2016 | 208,343 people | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 227,004 people | +9.0% |
| 2018 | 211,954 people | -6.6% |
| 2019 | 220,161 people | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 207,265 people | -5.9% |
| 2021 | 198,401 people | -4.3% |
| 2022 | 207,823 people | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 197,439 people | -5.0% |
| 2024 | 150,930 people | -23.6% |
| 2025 | 145,884 people | -3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 349,130 people | 291,801 people | 408,112 people | 9 |
| 2000s | 283,528 people | 225,154 people | 372,589 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 207,434 people | 191,150 people | 227,004 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 184,624 people | 145,884 people | 207,823 people | 6 |
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 number of people employed in agriculture in Bulgaria?
- Number of people employed in agriculture in Bulgaria was 145,884 people in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people employed in agriculture recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 408,112 people in 1998.
- What is the lowest number of people employed in agriculture recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 145,884 people in 2025.
- How does Bulgaria rank for number of people employed in agriculture?
- Bulgaria ranks 127th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people employed in agriculture rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people employed in agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people working in agriculture, including hunting, forestry and fishing.