Rural population in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Rural population was 23.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
23.0%
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
143rd
of 214 countries
All-time high
47.7%
in 1970
All-time low
23.0%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Bulgaria, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 23.0% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Bulgaria peaked at 47.7% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 23.0%, in 2024.
That places Bulgaria 143rd out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 47.7% | — |
| 1971 | 46.6% | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 45.6% | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 44.5% | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 43.5% | -2.4% |
| 1975 | 42.4% | -2.4% |
| 1976 | 41.5% | -2.3% |
| 1977 | 40.6% | -2.2% |
| 1978 | 39.7% | -2.2% |
| 1979 | 38.8% | -2.2% |
| 1980 | 37.9% | -2.3% |
| 1981 | 37.4% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 36.9% | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 36.4% | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 35.9% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 35.4% | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 35.0% | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 34.7% | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 34.3% | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 34.0% | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 33.6% | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 33.3% | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 32.9% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 32.7% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 32.4% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 32.2% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 32.0% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 31.8% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 31.5% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 31.3% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 31.1% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 30.8% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 30.5% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 30.1% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 29.8% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 29.4% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 29.1% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 28.7% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 28.4% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 28.0% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 27.7% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 27.4% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 27.0% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 26.7% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 26.3% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 26.0% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 25.7% | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 25.3% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 25.0% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 24.7% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 24.3% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 24.0% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 23.6% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 23.3% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 23.0% | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 43.1% | 38.8% | 47.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 35.8% | 34.0% | 37.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 32.4% | 31.3% | 33.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.6% | 28.0% | 31.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.2% | 24.7% | 27.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.6% | 23.0% | 24.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 140 Algeria 24.3% compare
- 141 El Salvador 24.0% compare
- 142 Sao Tome and Principe 23.0% compare
- 144 Cuba 22.3% compare
- 145 Iran, Islamic Republic of 22.3% compare
- 146 Palestine, State of 22.1% compare
More population data for Bulgaria
- 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)
- Population growth rate -0.733 (2100)
- Population density 32.53 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 146,527 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.733 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Bulgaria?
- Rural population in Bulgaria was 23.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 47.7% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.0% in 2024.
- How does Bulgaria rank for rural population?
- Bulgaria ranks 143rd out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release