Birth rate in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Birth rate was 9.22 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
9.22 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
185th
of 236 countries
All-time high
21.52 births per 1,000 people
in 1950
All-time low
7.77 births per 1,000 people
in 1997
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Birth rate in Bulgaria, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2023, birth rate in Bulgaria stood at 9.22 births per 1,000 people.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Bulgaria peaked at 21.52 births per 1,000 people in 1950 and was at its lowest, 7.77 births per 1,000 people, in 1997.
Bulgaria ranks 185th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rate in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 21.52 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 21.16 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1952 | 21.09 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1953 | 20.73 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1954 | 20.07 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1955 | 20 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1956 | 19.41 births per 1,000 people | -3.0% |
| 1957 | 18.29 births per 1,000 people | -5.7% |
| 1958 | 17.7 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1959 | 17.38 births per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 1960 | 17.79 births per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 1961 | 17.3 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1962 | 16.68 births per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1963 | 16.28 births per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 1964 | 16.01 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1965 | 15.37 births per 1,000 people | -4.0% |
| 1966 | 14.87 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1967 | 15.04 births per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 16.9 births per 1,000 people | +12.3% |
| 1969 | 17 births per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 16.39 births per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1971 | 15.88 births per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 1972 | 15.38 births per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 1973 | 16.23 births per 1,000 people | +5.5% |
| 1974 | 17.19 births per 1,000 people | +5.9% |
| 1975 | 16.72 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1976 | 16.57 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 16.1 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 15.56 births per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1979 | 15.3 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 14.49 births per 1,000 people | -5.3% |
| 1981 | 14.03 births per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 1982 | 13.94 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 13.77 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 13.61 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 13.3 births per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 13.31 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 12.99 births per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 13.07 births per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 12.72 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 12.09 births per 1,000 people | -5.0% |
| 1991 | 11.15 births per 1,000 people | -7.7% |
| 1992 | 10.48 births per 1,000 people | -6.0% |
| 1993 | 9.96 births per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1994 | 9.42 births per 1,000 people | -5.5% |
| 1995 | 8.63 births per 1,000 people | -8.4% |
| 1996 | 8.59 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 7.77 births per 1,000 people | -9.6% |
| 1998 | 7.95 births per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 8.79 births per 1,000 people | +10.7% |
| 2000 | 9.02 births per 1,000 people | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 8.57 births per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 2002 | 8.53 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 8.71 births per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 9.11 births per 1,000 people | +4.5% |
| 2005 | 9.34 births per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 9.78 births per 1,000 people | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 10.03 births per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 10.39 births per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 10.85 births per 1,000 people | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 10.23 births per 1,000 people | -5.7% |
| 2011 | 9.67 births per 1,000 people | -5.5% |
| 2012 | 9.47 births per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 9.18 births per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 9.34 births per 1,000 people | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 9.18 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 9.12 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 9.04 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 8.86 births per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 8.82 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 8.49 births per 1,000 people | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 8.58 births per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 9.38 births per 1,000 people | +9.4% |
| 2023 | 9.22 births per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 9.22 births per 1,000 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 9.6 births per 1,000 people, 96% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 9.22 births per 1,000 people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.31 births per 1,000 people, 99% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 19.73 births per 1,000 people | 17.38 births per 1,000 people | 21.52 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 16.32 births per 1,000 people | 14.87 births per 1,000 people | 17.79 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 16.13 births per 1,000 people | 15.3 births per 1,000 people | 17.19 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.52 births per 1,000 people | 12.72 births per 1,000 people | 14.49 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.48 births per 1,000 people | 7.77 births per 1,000 people | 12.09 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.43 births per 1,000 people | 8.53 births per 1,000 people | 10.85 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.29 births per 1,000 people | 8.82 births per 1,000 people | 10.23 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.92 births per 1,000 people | 8.49 births per 1,000 people | 9.38 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 182 Sweden 9.28 births per 1,000 people compare
- 183 Netherlands 9.28 births per 1,000 people compare
- 184 Mauritius 9.27 births per 1,000 people compare
- 186 North Macedonia 9.21 births per 1,000 people compare
- 187 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 9.13 births per 1,000 people compare
- 188 Canada 9.08 births per 1,000 people compare
More population data for Bulgaria
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.7245 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.34 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.7245 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.18 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,187 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.8803 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.921 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 32.53 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 146,527 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Bulgaria?
- Birth rate in Bulgaria was 9.22 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 21.52 births per 1,000 people in 1950.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.77 births per 1,000 people in 1997.
- How does Bulgaria rank for birth rate?
- Bulgaria ranks 185th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.