Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas was 31.0% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Bulgaria, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 31.0% for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in 2020.
The figure is up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Bulgaria peaked at 31.7% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 18.6%, in 1950.
That places Bulgaria 137th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 18.6% | — |
| 1955 | 21.6% | +16.0% |
| 1960 | 23.8% | +10.4% |
| 1965 | 26.2% | +10.0% |
| 1970 | 28.3% | +8.0% |
| 1975 | 31.0% | +9.6% |
| 1980 | 31.2% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 31.7% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 31.3% | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 30.8% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 31.0% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 30.4% | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 30.2% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 30.4% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 31.0% | +2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 20.1% | 18.6% | 21.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 25.0% | 23.8% | 26.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 29.7% | 28.3% | 31.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 31.5% | 31.2% | 31.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 31.1% | 30.8% | 31.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 30.7% | 30.4% | 31.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 30.3% | 30.2% | 30.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 31.0% | 31.0% | 31.0% | 1 |
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 share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Bulgaria?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Bulgaria was 31.0% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 31.7% in 1985.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.6% in 1950.
- How does Bulgaria rank for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Bulgaria ranks 137th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.