Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 75.71 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
75.71 years
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
96th
of 215 countries
All-time high
75.71 years
in 2023
All-time low
70.35 years
in 1997
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Bulgaria, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 75.71 years for life expectancy at birth, total in 2023. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.1% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Bulgaria peaked at 75.71 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 70.35 years, in 1997.
That places Bulgaria 96th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 71.26 years | — |
| 1971 | 70.87 years | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 70.9 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 71.34 years | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 71.21 years | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 71.05 years | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 71.39 years | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 70.82 years | -0.8% |
| 1978 | 71.18 years | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 71.31 years | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 71.16 years | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 71.57 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 71.19 years | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 71.39 years | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 71.5 years | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 71.23 years | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 71.73 years | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 71.53 years | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 71.6 years | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 71.72 years | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 71.64 years | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 71.56 years | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 71.49 years | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 71.35 years | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 71.21 years | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 71.05 years | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 70.9 years | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 70.35 years | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 71.06 years | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 71.41 years | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 71.66 years | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 71.77 years | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 71.87 years | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 72.07 years | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 72.56 years | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 72.56 years | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 72.61 years | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 72.66 years | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 72.96 years | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 73.41 years | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 73.51 years | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 74.16 years | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 74.31 years | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 74.86 years | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 74.47 years | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 74.61 years | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 74.81 years | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 74.81 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 74.96 years | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 75.11 years | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 73.36 years | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 71.21 years | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 74.16 years | +4.1% |
| 2023 | 75.71 years | +2.1% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 75.71 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 81.17 years, 93% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 75.71 years is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 79.74 years, 95% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 71.13 years | 70.82 years | 71.39 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 71.46 years | 71.16 years | 71.73 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 71.2 years | 70.35 years | 71.64 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 72.41 years | 71.66 years | 73.41 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.56 years | 73.51 years | 75.11 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.61 years | 71.21 years | 75.71 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
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)
- Population growth rate -0.733 (2100)
- Population density 32.53 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 146,527 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Bulgaria?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Bulgaria was 75.71 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 75.71 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.35 years in 1997.
- How does Bulgaria rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Bulgaria ranks 96th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release