Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 1,491 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1,491 thousands
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
64th
of 233 countries
All-time high
1,504 thousands
in 2020
All-time low
800.86 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Bulgaria, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 1,491 thousands for population aged 65 years or older in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Bulgaria peaked at 1,504 thousands in 2020 and was at its lowest, 800.86 thousands, in 1970.
That places Bulgaria 64th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 800.86 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 829.93 thousands | +3.6% |
| 1972 | 859.6 thousands | +3.6% |
| 1973 | 884.41 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 911.43 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 936 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 961.69 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 984.3 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 1,013 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 1,005 thousands | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 1,039 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1981 | 1,060 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 1,041 thousands | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 1,009 thousands | -3.1% |
| 1984 | 989.66 thousands | -1.9% |
| 1985 | 1,002 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 1,034 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1987 | 1,064 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 1,095 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 1,120 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 1,150 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 1,174 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 1,197 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 1,213 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 1,237 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 1,253 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 1,272 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 1,280 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 1,294 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 1,306 thousands | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 1,325 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 1,329 thousands | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 1,335 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 1,337 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 1,336 thousands | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 1,334 thousands | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 1,334 thousands | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 1,333 thousands | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 1,334 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 1,338 thousands | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 1,344 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 1,355 thousands | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 1,378 thousands | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 1,395 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 1,417 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 1,440 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 1,461 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 1,472 thousands | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 1,482 thousands | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 1,493 thousands | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 1,504 thousands | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 1,504 thousands | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 1,482 thousands | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 1,480 thousands | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 1,487 thousands | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 1,491 thousands | +0.2% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 1,491 thousands is above the median for high income countries, which is 291.46 thousands, 5.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 1,491 thousands is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 974.42 thousands, 1.5× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 918.57 thousands | 800.86 thousands | 1,013 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,045 thousands | 989.66 thousands | 1,120 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,238 thousands | 1,150 thousands | 1,306 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,333 thousands | 1,325 thousands | 1,338 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,424 thousands | 1,344 thousands | 1,493 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,491 thousands | 1,480 thousands | 1,504 thousands | 6 |
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 population aged 65 years or older in Bulgaria?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Bulgaria was 1,491 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 1,504 thousands in 2020.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 800.86 thousands in 1970.
- How does Bulgaria rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Bulgaria ranks 64th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release