Period total fertility rate in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Period total fertility rate was 1.58 in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
1.58
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
6th
of 34 countries
All-time high
2.93
in 1950
All-time low
1.12
in 1997
Years of data
75
1947–2021

Period total fertility rate in Bulgaria, 1947–2021

0123194719842021

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for period total fertility rate in Bulgaria is 1.58, 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, period total fertility rate in Bulgaria peaked at 2.93 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 1.12, in 1997.

That places Bulgaria 6th 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.

Period total fertility rate in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Period total fertility rate in Bulgaria, 1947 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1947 2.83 —
1948 2.88 +1.6%
1949 2.87 -0.2%
1950 2.93 +2.0%
1951 2.42 -17.2%
1952 2.43 +0.2%
1953 2.41 -0.7%
1954 2.36 -2.1%
1955 2.38 +0.8%
1956 2.35 -1.5%
1957 2.25 -3.9%
1958 2.23 -1.0%
1959 2.23 +0.2%
1960 2.31 +3.4%
1961 2.29 -0.9%
1962 2.24 -2.2%
1963 2.21 -1.3%
1964 2.18 -1.2%
1965 2.09 -4.5%
1966 2.02 -2.9%
1967 2.02 -0.1%
1968 2.27 +12.2%
1969 2.27 -0.0%
1970 2.17 -4.2%
1971 2.1 -3.3%
1972 2.03 -3.5%
1973 2.15 +5.9%
1974 2.29 +6.6%
1975 2.23 -2.8%
1976 2.24 +0.8%
1977 2.21 -1.6%
1978 2.15 -2.6%
1979 2.15 +0.3%
1980 2.05 -4.7%
1981 2 -2.5%
1982 2.01 +0.4%
1983 2.01 -0.3%
1984 2.01 +0.1%
1985 1.98 -1.5%
1986 2.02 +2.1%
1987 1.97 -2.7%
1988 1.97 +0.4%
1989 1.89 -4.2%
1990 1.79 -5.4%
1991 1.64 -8.0%
1992 1.54 -6.1%
1993 1.47 -5.1%
1994 1.38 -6.0%
1995 1.25 -9.4%
1996 1.26 +0.6%
1997 1.12 -10.7%
1998 1.15 +2.7%
1999 1.28 +11.5%
2000 1.32 +2.9%
2001 1.24 -6.5%
2002 1.22 -1.5%
2003 1.25 +2.5%
2004 1.31 +5.0%
2005 1.35 +2.9%
2006 1.42 +5.6%
2007 1.47 +3.4%
2008 1.54 +5.0%
2009 1.64 +6.2%
2010 1.56 -5.0%
2011 1.5 -3.9%
2012 1.5 +0.0%
2013 1.48 -1.2%
2014 1.53 +3.6%
2015 1.53 -0.3%
2016 1.54 +0.8%
2017 1.56 +1.1%
2018 1.56 -0.1%
2019 1.58 +1.7%
2020 1.56 -1.6%
2021 1.58 +1.3%

Bulgaria compared with similar countries

  • Bulgaria's 1.58 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.48, 1.1× the median. (28 countries reporting)
  • Bulgaria's 1.58 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.47, 1.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1940s 2.86 2.83 2.88 3
1950s 2.4 2.23 2.93 10
1960s 2.19 2.02 2.31 10
1970s 2.17 2.03 2.29 10
1980s 1.99 1.89 2.05 10
1990s 1.39 1.12 1.79 10
2000s 1.38 1.22 1.64 10
2010s 1.53 1.48 1.58 10
2020s 1.57 1.56 1.58 2

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 3 Slovenia 1.61 compare
  2. 4 United States 1.59 compare
  3. 5 Russia 1.58 compare
  4. 7 Germany 1.57 compare
  5. 8 Hungary 1.56 compare
  6. 9 Iceland 1.56 compare

See the full ranking of 34 places →

More population data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is period total fertility rate in Bulgaria?
Period total fertility rate in Bulgaria was 1.58 in 2021, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest period total fertility rate recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 2.93 in 1950.
What is the lowest period total fertility rate recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 1.12 in 1997.
How does Bulgaria rank for period total fertility rate?
Bulgaria ranks 6th out of 34 countries with data for 2021.
Is period total fertility rate 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Period total fertility rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Period total fertility rate in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/period-total-fertility-rate/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Period total fertility rate
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
34 places, 2,354 data points, 1891–2025
Last refreshed