Birth rate in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Birth rate was 9.22 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Birth rate in Bulgaria, 1947–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); 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 24.89 births per 1,000 people in 1949 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 77 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 24.65 births per 1,000 people | 24.21 births per 1,000 people | 24.89 births per 1,000 people | 3 |
| 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 growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 146,527 people (2100)
- Population density 32.53 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.72 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 108,747 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.72 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.72 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate -0.6% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.75 live births per woman (2023)
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 Human Mortality Database (2025); 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 24.89 births per 1,000 people in 1949.
- 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 Human Mortality Database (2025); 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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About this data
The total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.