Total fertility rate: births per woman in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Total fertility rate: births per woman was 1.58 births per woman in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
1.58 births per woman
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
8th
of 34 countries
All-time high
2.93 births per woman
in 1950
All-time low
1.12 births per woman
in 1997
Years of data
75
1947–2021
Total fertility rate: births per woman in Bulgaria, 1947–2021
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total fertility rate: births per woman in Bulgaria is 1.58 births per woman, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total fertility rate: births per woman in Bulgaria peaked at 2.93 births per woman in 1950 and was at its lowest, 1.12 births per woman, in 1997.
That places Bulgaria 8th out of 34 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 75 years of available data.
Total fertility rate: births per woman in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | 2.83 births per woman | — |
| 1948 | 2.88 births per woman | +1.6% |
| 1949 | 2.87 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1950 | 2.93 births per woman | +2.0% |
| 1951 | 2.42 births per woman | -17.2% |
| 1952 | 2.43 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1953 | 2.41 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1954 | 2.36 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1955 | 2.38 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 1956 | 2.35 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1957 | 2.25 births per woman | -3.9% |
| 1958 | 2.23 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1959 | 2.23 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1960 | 2.31 births per woman | +3.4% |
| 1961 | 2.29 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1962 | 2.24 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1963 | 2.21 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1964 | 2.18 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 2.09 births per woman | -4.5% |
| 1966 | 2.02 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 1967 | 2.02 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 2.27 births per woman | +12.2% |
| 1969 | 2.27 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1970 | 2.17 births per woman | -4.2% |
| 1971 | 2.1 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1972 | 2.03 births per woman | -3.5% |
| 1973 | 2.15 births per woman | +5.9% |
| 1974 | 2.29 births per woman | +6.6% |
| 1975 | 2.23 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1976 | 2.24 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 2.21 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 2.15 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1979 | 2.15 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 2.05 births per woman | -4.7% |
| 1981 | 2 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1982 | 2.01 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 2.01 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 2.01 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 1.98 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 2.02 births per woman | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 1.97 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 1.97 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 1.89 births per woman | -4.2% |
| 1990 | 1.79 births per woman | -5.4% |
| 1991 | 1.64 births per woman | -8.0% |
| 1992 | 1.54 births per woman | -6.1% |
| 1993 | 1.47 births per woman | -5.1% |
| 1994 | 1.38 births per woman | -6.0% |
| 1995 | 1.25 births per woman | -9.4% |
| 1996 | 1.26 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 1.12 births per woman | -10.7% |
| 1998 | 1.15 births per woman | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 1.28 births per woman | +11.5% |
| 2000 | 1.32 births per woman | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 1.24 births per woman | -6.5% |
| 2002 | 1.22 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 1.25 births per woman | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 1.31 births per woman | +5.0% |
| 2005 | 1.35 births per woman | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 1.42 births per woman | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 1.47 births per woman | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 1.54 births per woman | +5.0% |
| 2009 | 1.64 births per woman | +6.2% |
| 2010 | 1.56 births per woman | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 1.5 births per woman | -3.9% |
| 2012 | 1.5 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.48 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 1.53 births per woman | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 1.53 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 1.54 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 1.56 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 1.56 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 1.58 births per woman | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 1.56 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 1.58 births per woman | +1.3% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 1.58 births per woman is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.48 births per woman, 1.1× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 1.58 births per woman is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.48 births per woman, 1.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 2.86 births per woman | 2.83 births per woman | 2.88 births per woman | 3 |
| 1950s | 2.4 births per woman | 2.23 births per woman | 2.93 births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.19 births per woman | 2.02 births per woman | 2.31 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.17 births per woman | 2.03 births per woman | 2.29 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.99 births per woman | 1.89 births per woman | 2.05 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.39 births per woman | 1.12 births per woman | 1.79 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.38 births per woman | 1.22 births per woman | 1.64 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.53 births per woman | 1.48 births per woman | 1.58 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.57 births per woman | 1.56 births per woman | 1.58 births per woman | 2 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More population data for Bulgaria
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.18 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.7245 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.921 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.8803 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total fertility rate: births per woman in Bulgaria?
- Total fertility rate: births per woman in Bulgaria was 1.58 births per woman in 2021, according to Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 2.93 births per woman in 1950.
- What is the lowest total fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.12 births per woman in 1997.
- How does Bulgaria rank for total fertility rate: births per woman?
- Bulgaria ranks 8th out of 34 countries with data for 2021.
- Is total fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime if she experienced the fertility rates of a specific year.