Military personnel as a share of total population in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Military personnel as a share of total population was 0.5% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
0.5%
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
31st
of 194 countries
All-time high
16.8%
in 1918
All-time low
0.3%
in 1938
Years of data
112
1908–2022
Military personnel as a share of total population in Bulgaria, 1908–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, military personnel as a share of total population in Bulgaria stood at 0.5%.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 27.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel as a share of total population in Bulgaria peaked at 16.8% in 1918 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1938.
That places Bulgaria 31st out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military personnel as a share of total population in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 1.4% | — |
| 1909 | 1.4% | +0.2% |
| 1910 | 1.3% | -4.8% |
| 1911 | 1.4% | +3.7% |
| 1912 | 1.4% | -1.4% |
| 1913 | 13.2% | +855.4% |
| 1914 | 1.1% | -91.9% |
| 1915 | 1.0% | -6.7% |
| 1916 | 16.0% | +1500.0% |
| 1917 | 0.8% | -95.3% |
| 1918 | 16.8% | +2133.2% |
| 1919 | 0.4% | -97.7% |
| 1920 | 0.4% | +6.8% |
| 1921 | 0.4% | -1.6% |
| 1922 | 0.4% | -2.0% |
| 1923 | 0.4% | -2.0% |
| 1924 | 0.4% | -2.1% |
| 1925 | 0.4% | -1.9% |
| 1926 | 0.4% | -2.0% |
| 1927 | 0.4% | -1.6% |
| 1928 | 0.4% | -1.4% |
| 1929 | 0.4% | -1.2% |
| 1930 | 0.3% | -1.2% |
| 1931 | 0.3% | -1.4% |
| 1932 | 0.3% | -1.2% |
| 1933 | 0.3% | -1.3% |
| 1934 | 0.3% | -1.3% |
| 1935 | 0.3% | -1.0% |
| 1936 | 0.3% | -0.8% |
| 1937 | 0.3% | -0.8% |
| 1938 | 0.3% | -0.8% |
| 1939 | 0.8% | +138.5% |
| 1940 | 2.6% | +236.9% |
| 1944 | 6.5% | +154.4% |
| 1945 | 0.6% | -91.4% |
| 1946 | 1.5% | +169.5% |
| 1947 | 1.9% | +22.5% |
| 1948 | 2.2% | +18.7% |
| 1949 | 2.5% | +15.5% |
| 1950 | 2.9% | +13.3% |
| 1951 | 2.8% | -4.4% |
| 1952 | 2.6% | -5.2% |
| 1953 | 2.5% | -2.5% |
| 1954 | 2.9% | +12.7% |
| 1955 | 2.8% | -1.0% |
| 1956 | 2.5% | -11.2% |
| 1957 | 2.5% | -0.5% |
| 1958 | 2.2% | -13.9% |
| 1959 | 1.8% | -15.1% |
| 1960 | 1.5% | -18.2% |
| 1961 | 1.7% | +10.8% |
| 1962 | 1.7% | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 2.3% | +34.5% |
| 1964 | 2.2% | -3.5% |
| 1965 | 2.2% | -0.7% |
| 1966 | 2.1% | -1.8% |
| 1967 | 2.1% | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 2.1% | -1.3% |
| 1969 | 2.1% | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 2.1% | -0.7% |
| 1971 | 2.2% | +7.4% |
| 1972 | 2.2% | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 2.1% | -6.8% |
| 1974 | 2.0% | -2.4% |
| 1975 | 2.0% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 2.0% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 2.1% | +4.5% |
| 1978 | 2.1% | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 2.1% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 2.1% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 2.1% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 2.1% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 2.1% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 2.1% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 2.1% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 2.1% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 1.8% | -16.3% |
| 1989 | 1.7% | -6.3% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | -14.0% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | -17.0% |
| 1992 | 1.2% | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 0.6% | -47.1% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | +54.4% |
| 1995 | 1.1% | +13.0% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | -10.6% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 0.9% | -6.6% |
| 1999 | 0.8% | -6.0% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | +15.0% |
| 2001 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | -11.2% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | -24.4% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 0.7% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 0.7% | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 0.7% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | -21.0% |
| 2009 | 0.6% | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | -14.0% |
| 2011 | 0.4% | -10.8% |
| 2012 | 0.4% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 0.4% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 0.4% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 0.4% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | +20.1% |
| 2021 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.5% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 2 |
| 1910s | 5.3% | 0.4% | 16.8% | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.5% | 0.6% | 6.5% | 7 |
| 1950s | 2.6% | 1.8% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.0% | 1.5% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 3 |
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)
- 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 military personnel as a share of total population in Bulgaria?
- Military personnel as a share of total population in Bulgaria was 0.5% in 2022, according to Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 16.8% in 1918.
- What is the lowest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1938.
- How does Bulgaria rank for military personnel as a share of total population?
- Bulgaria ranks 31st out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Ratio of military personnel to total population, expressed as a percentage.