Rural population in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Rural population was 25.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Bulgaria, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, rural population in Bulgaria stood at 25.8%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Bulgaria peaked at 62.9% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 25.8%, in 2025.
That places Bulgaria 142nd out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 62.9% | — |
| 1961 | 61.6% | -2.1% |
| 1962 | 60.7% | -1.4% |
| 1963 | 59.7% | -1.6% |
| 1964 | 57.0% | -4.6% |
| 1965 | 54.3% | -4.7% |
| 1966 | 53.0% | -2.4% |
| 1967 | 52.0% | -1.9% |
| 1968 | 51.0% | -1.9% |
| 1969 | 49.4% | -3.1% |
| 1970 | 47.7% | -3.5% |
| 1971 | 46.2% | -3.1% |
| 1972 | 44.8% | -2.9% |
| 1973 | 43.7% | -2.4% |
| 1974 | 41.9% | -4.1% |
| 1975 | 42.0% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 41.5% | -1.2% |
| 1977 | 40.6% | -2.2% |
| 1978 | 39.5% | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 38.5% | -2.4% |
| 1980 | 37.9% | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 37.0% | -2.3% |
| 1982 | 36.1% | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 35.4% | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 34.4% | -2.7% |
| 1985 | 35.0% | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 34.7% | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 34.0% | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 33.3% | -2.1% |
| 1989 | 32.7% | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 33.0% | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 32.9% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 32.8% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 32.6% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 32.3% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 32.2% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 32.3% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 32.3% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 32.1% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 32.0% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 31.7% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 30.8% | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 30.5% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 30.2% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 30.1% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 29.9% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 29.5% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 29.3% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 29.1% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 28.7% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 28.5% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 27.4% | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 27.2% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 27.0% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 26.9% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 26.9% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 26.8% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 26.6% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 26.4% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 26.3% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 26.7% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 26.7% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 26.5% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 26.3% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 26.1% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 25.8% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 56.2% | 49.4% | 62.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 42.6% | 38.5% | 47.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 35.0% | 32.7% | 37.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 32.4% | 32.0% | 33.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.0% | 28.7% | 31.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.0% | 26.3% | 28.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.3% | 25.8% | 26.7% | 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 rural population in Bulgaria?
- Rural population in Bulgaria was 25.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 62.9% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.8% in 2025.
- How does Bulgaria rank for rural population?
- Bulgaria ranks 142nd out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.