Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 46.16 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
46.16 people per square kilometre
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
115th
of 215 countries
All-time high
54.37 people per square kilometre
in 1989
All-time low
27.56 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Bulgaria, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 46.16 people per square kilometre for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in 2023.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Bulgaria peaked at 54.37 people per square kilometre in 1989 and was at its lowest, 27.56 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
Bulgaria ranks 115th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 27.56 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 28.45 people per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1963 | 29.39 people per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1964 | 31.67 people per square kilometre | +7.7% |
| 1965 | 33.88 people per square kilometre | +7.0% |
| 1966 | 35.09 people per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1967 | 36.06 people per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1968 | 37.08 people per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 38.58 people per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1970 | 40.16 people per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1971 | 41.54 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1972 | 42.79 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 43.87 people per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 45.59 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1975 | 45.74 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 46.31 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 47.29 people per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 48.21 people per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 49.04 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 49.76 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 50.62 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 51.47 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 52.2 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 53.09 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 52.6 people per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 52.87 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 53.55 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 54.18 people per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 54.37 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 53.46 people per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 52.73 people per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 51.95 people per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 51.6 people per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 51.52 people per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 51.25 people per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 50.74 people per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 50.25 people per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 49.92 people per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 49.62 people per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 49.37 people per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 49.59 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 50.21 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 50.07 people per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 49.82 people per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 49.64 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 49.59 people per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 49.38 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 49.19 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 49.18 people per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 49 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 49.36 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 49.05 people per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 48.83 people per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 48.63 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 48.33 people per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 48.04 people per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 47.83 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 47.63 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 47.37 people per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 46.83 people per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 46.46 people per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 46.2 people per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 46.16 people per square kilometre | -0.1% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 46.16 people per square kilometre is below the median for high income countries, which is 78.87 people per square kilometre, 59% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 46.16 people per square kilometre is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 54.24 people per square kilometre, 85% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 33.09 people per square kilometre | 27.56 people per square kilometre | 38.58 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 45.05 people per square kilometre | 40.16 people per square kilometre | 49.04 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 52.47 people per square kilometre | 49.76 people per square kilometre | 54.37 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 51.31 people per square kilometre | 49.62 people per square kilometre | 53.46 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.6 people per square kilometre | 49.18 people per square kilometre | 50.21 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.41 people per square kilometre | 47.37 people per square kilometre | 49.36 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.41 people per square kilometre | 46.16 people per square kilometre | 46.83 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 112 Egypt 49.14 people per square kilometre compare
- 113 Ireland 48.36 people per square kilometre compare
- 114 Equatorial Guinea 46.85 people per square kilometre compare
- 116 Ecuador 45.7 people per square kilometre compare
- 117 Turks and Caicos Islands 45.68 people per square kilometre compare
- 118 Ukraine 45.25 people per square kilometre 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 number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Bulgaria?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Bulgaria was 46.16 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 54.37 people per square kilometre in 1989.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.56 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Bulgaria rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Bulgaria ranks 115th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.