Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants was 1.4% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
1.4%
World rank
34th
of 144 countries
All-time high
7.5%
in 1980
All-time low
0.4%
in 1995
Years of data
14
1955–2020

Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Bulgaria, 1955–2020

024681955198720201955: 1.6 %1960: 0.893 %1965: 0.917 %1970: 0.564 %1975: 0.804 %1980: 7.5 %1985: 1.6 %1990: 0.438 %1995: 0.39 %2000: 0.489 %2005: 1.1 %2010: 1.5 %2015: 1.3 %2020: 1.4 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Bulgaria is 1.4%, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of down 7.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Bulgaria peaked at 7.5% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1995.

That places Bulgaria 34th out of 144 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Bulgaria, 1955 to 2020.
Year % Change
1955 1.6%
1960 0.9% -43.7%
1965 0.9% +2.7%
1970 0.6% -38.5%
1975 0.8% +42.6%
1980 7.5% +836.8%
1985 1.6% -78.6%
1990 0.4% -72.9%
1995 0.4% -10.8%
2000 0.5% +25.2%
2005 1.1% +117.6%
2010 1.5% +45.2%
2015 1.3% -17.1%
2020 1.4% +11.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 1.6% 1.6% 1.6% 1
1960s 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 2
1970s 0.7% 0.6% 0.8% 2
1980s 4.6% 1.6% 7.5% 2
1990s 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 2
2000s 0.8% 0.5% 1.1% 2
2010s 1.4% 1.3% 1.5% 2
2020s 1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 1

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 31 Madagascar 1.5% compare
  2. 32 Serbia 1.5% compare
  3. 33 Estonia 1.5% compare
  4. 35 Republic of Moldova 1.3% compare
  5. 36 Viet Nam 1.3% compare
  6. 37 Kenya 1.3% compare

See the full ranking of 144 places →

More population data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Bulgaria?
Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Bulgaria was 1.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 7.5% in 1980.
What is the lowest annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1995.
How does Bulgaria rank for annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants?
Bulgaria ranks 34th out of 144 countries with data for 2020.
Is annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/annual-rate-of-change-in-urban-populations/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
144 places, 1,685 data points, 1955–2020
Last refreshed

Average annual growth in the share of population living in cities with at least 300,000 people, calculated over five-year periods. For example, 2020 reflects average growth between 2015–2020. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.