Natural population growth rate in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Natural population growth rate was -0.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
-0.6%
Change on year
up 21.3%
World rank
226th
of 236 countries
All-time high
1.2%
in 1953
All-time low
-1.3%
in 2021
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Natural population growth rate in Bulgaria, 1950–2023

-1.5-1-0.500.51195019862023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for natural population growth rate in Bulgaria is -0.6%, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 21.3% on the previous year and down 15.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, natural population growth rate in Bulgaria peaked at 1.2% in 1953 and was at its lowest, -1.3%, in 2021.

Bulgaria ranks 226th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 1.0% 0.8% 1.2% 10
1960s 0.8% 0.6% 1.0% 10
1970s 0.6% 0.5% 0.7% 10
1980s 0.2% 0.1% 0.3% 10
1990s -0.4% -0.7% -0.0% 10
2000s -0.5% -0.6% -0.4% 10
2010s -0.6% -0.7% -0.5% 10
2020s -0.9% -1.3% -0.6% 4

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 223 Serbia -0.5% compare
  2. 224 Greece -0.5% compare
  3. 225 Bosnia and Herzegovina -0.6% compare
  4. 227 Croatia -0.6% compare
  5. 228 Belarus -0.6% compare
  6. 229 Japan -0.6% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is natural population growth rate in Bulgaria?
Natural population growth rate in Bulgaria was -0.6% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest natural population growth rate recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 1.2% in 1953.
What is the lowest natural population growth rate recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was -1.3% in 2021.
How does Bulgaria rank for natural population growth rate?
Bulgaria ranks 226th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is natural population growth rate rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
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 Natural population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Natural population growth rate
Unit
%
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

Births minus deaths, as a share of the population. This is the part of population change that comes only from births and deaths, ignoring migration.