Bulgaria, with the help of the Russian Empire, achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878. In the decades before independence, Bulgaria's population had remained between 2.2 and 2.8 million people, and growth was much slower then the following century. Although most at the time assumed that it would become a Russian ally, Bulgaria defied the expectations and aligned itself with the western powers, and developed into a modern European state by the turn in the late 1800s. Bulgaria at war In the early twentieth century Bulgaria was involved in both World Wars, as well as two Balkan Wars. The Balkan states were unhappy with the borders assigned to them by the western powers, and instead wanted to re-draw them based on the dispersal of ethnic groups. This led to the first Balkan War in 1912, which saw Bulgaria fight alongside Greece and Serbia against the Ottomans. Bulgaria fought the second Balkan War on all sides, this time against Greece, Serbia, Romania and the Ottomans, as the dispute over borders continued. Bulgaria was defeated this time, and sustained heavy casualties, amassing in 58 thousand fatalities and over 100 thousand wounded in the two wars.

In the First World War, Bulgaria remained neutral at first, in order to recover from the previous wars, but then aligned itself with the Central powers in 1915, and played a vital role in maintaining their control in the Balkans. While Bulgaria was initially successful, its allies weakened as the war progressed, and then Bulgaria eventually succumbed to Allied forces and surrendered in 1918, with almost 200 thousand Bulgarians dying as a result of the war. The interwar years was a period of political and economic turmoil, and when control was re-established, Bulgaria was then able to maintain it's neutrality throughout most of the Second World War, (although there was some conflict and bombings in certain areas). Rise and fall of communism After the war, Bulgaria became a communist state, and life became harsh for the civil population there until the late 1950s when the standard of living rose again. In the late 1980s, like many Eastern European countries, Bulgaria experienced economic decline as the communist system began to collapse. Political failures also contributed to this, and approximately 300 thousand Bulgarian Turks migrated to Turkey, greatly weakening the agricultural economy. This trend of mass migration abroad continued after the fall of the iron curtain, as well as the rise of unemployment. Bulgaria reached it's peak population size in 1985 at 8.98 million inhabitants, but then the number decreases each year, and is expected to be 6.94 million in 2020. This drop in population size has been attributed to the economic collapse at the end of communism in Eastern Europe, causing many to leave the country in search of work elsewhere. Bulgaria also has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, with 8.7 births per 1,000 people per year (in 2018).

In 2024, the total population of Bulgaria amounted to 6.44 million people. Between 1980 and 2024, the figure dropped by 2.37 million people, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory. The forecast shows the total population will steadily decline by 430,000 people from 2024 to 2030.This indicator describes the total population in the country at hand. This total population of the country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.

Bulgaria Population: Rural: 100 Years and Above data was reported at 107.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 101.000 Person for 2022. Bulgaria Population: Rural: 100 Years and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 107.000 Person from Dec 2001 (Median) to 2023, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 221.000 Person in 2009 and a record low of 68.000 Person in 2018. Bulgaria Population: Rural: 100 Years and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Statistical Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bulgaria – Table BG.G002: Population: by Age Group and Sex.

The total population in Bulgaria was estimated at 6.4 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - Bulgaria Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Bulgaria Population: Urban: 50 to 54 Years data was reported at 362,020.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 360,986.000 Person for 2022. Bulgaria Population: Urban: 50 to 54 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 378,462.000 Person from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2023, with 29 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 438,344.000 Person in 2000 and a record low of 341,613.000 Person in 2017. Bulgaria Population: Urban: 50 to 54 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Statistical Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bulgaria – Table BG.G002: Population: by Age Group and Sex.

Historical dataset showing total population for Bulgaria by year from 1950 to 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Population ages 65 and above for Bulgaria (SPPOP65UPTOZSBGR) from 1960 to 2024 about Bulgaria, 65-years +, and population.

Bulgaria gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878, and for the next century the population grew at a relatively constant rate, before falling into decline from the 1980s until today. The ratio of men to women in Bulgaria has remained fairly level before the 1980s, with the difference never exceeding 100,000. It was only in the 1980s when the numbers began to drift further apart, with the male population decreasing at a higher rate than females. A difference of more than 100,000 people appeared in 1988, and 200,000 at the turn of the millennium. The difference in Bulgaria's male and female populations has remained around 200,000 people for the past two decades, as the overall population has fallen from around eight million to below seven million people. This drop in population size has been attributed to the economic collapse which followed the end of communism in Eastern Europe, causing many to leave the country in search of work elsewhere. Bulgaria also has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, with just 9 births per 1,000 people in 2020.

Bulgaria - Proportion of population aged 0-14 years was 14.10% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Bulgaria - Proportion of population aged 0-14 years - last updated from the EUROSTAT on November of 2025. Historically, Bulgaria - Proportion of population aged 0-14 years reached a record high of 14.20% in December of 2023 and a record low of 13.20% in December of 2011.

In 2020, the median age of the Bulgarian population was nearly 43.9 years. By 2100, it was expected to increase by more than 11 years. The median age is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population.

Population growth rate of Bulgaria sank by 87.93% from -0.3 % in 2023 to 0.0 % in 2024. Since the 2.94% upward trend in 2019, population growth rate plummeted by 97.55% in 2024. Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of the country of origin.

Bulgaria Population: Urban: 80 to 84 Years data was reported at 127,012.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 122,573.000 Person for 2022. Bulgaria Population: Urban: 80 to 84 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 118,013.000 Person from Dec 2001 (Median) to 2023, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 128,268.000 Person in 2016 and a record low of 69,014.000 Person in 2001. Bulgaria Population: Urban: 80 to 84 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Statistical Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bulgaria – Table BG.G002: Population: by Age Group and Sex.

Historical dataset showing Bulgaria population growth rate by year from 1961 to 2023.

Bulgaria Population: Rural: 0 Years data was reported at 14,633.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 14,384.000 Person for 2022. Bulgaria Population: Rural: 0 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 16,941.000 Person from Dec 1998 (Median) to 2023, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 20,267.000 Person in 1999 and a record low of 14,384.000 Person in 2022. Bulgaria Population: Rural: 0 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Statistical Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bulgaria – Table BG.G002: Population: by Age Group and Sex.

This statistic shows the age structure in Bulgaria from 2014 to 2024. In 2024, about 14.47 percent of Bulgaria's total population were aged 0 to 14 years.

Historical dataset showing Bulgaria population density by year from 1961 to 2022.

Bulgaria Population: Urban: 0 Years data was reported at 42,529.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 42,142.000 Person for 2022. Bulgaria Population: Urban: 0 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 48,644.000 Person from Dec 1998 (Median) to 2023, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 57,563.000 Person in 2009 and a record low of 42,142.000 Person in 2022. Bulgaria Population: Urban: 0 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Statistical Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bulgaria – Table BG.G002: Population: by Age Group and Sex.

Bulgaria Population: Urban: 85 to 89 Years data was reported at 69,001.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 68,545.000 Person for 2022. Bulgaria Population: Urban: 85 to 89 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 56,901.000 Person from Dec 2001 (Median) to 2023, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 70,178.000 Person in 2019 and a record low of 23,068.000 Person in 2003. Bulgaria Population: Urban: 85 to 89 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Statistical Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bulgaria – Table BG.G002: Population: by Age Group and Sex.

Population ages 0-14, male in Bulgaria was reported at 479303 Persons in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bulgaria - Population, ages 0-14, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

This scatter chart displays inflation (annual %) against population (people) in Bulgaria. The data is about countries per year.