Urban and rural population in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Urban and rural population was 4.98 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
4.98 million
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
100th
of 236 countries
All-time high
6.02 million
in 1989
All-time low
1.97 million
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Urban and rural population in Bulgaria, 1950–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 4.98 million for urban and rural population in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban and rural population in Bulgaria peaked at 6.02 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 1.97 million, in 1950.
That places Bulgaria 100th out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Urban and rural population in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.97 million | — |
| 1951 | 2.05 million | +4.1% |
| 1952 | 2.12 million | +3.6% |
| 1953 | 2.21 million | +4.0% |
| 1954 | 2.30 million | +4.3% |
| 1955 | 2.38 million | +3.7% |
| 1956 | 2.51 million | +5.3% |
| 1957 | 2.60 million | +3.5% |
| 1958 | 2.69 million | +3.4% |
| 1959 | 2.78 million | +3.6% |
| 1960 | 2.92 million | +4.9% |
| 1961 | 3.05 million | +4.5% |
| 1962 | 3.15 million | +3.2% |
| 1963 | 3.25 million | +3.3% |
| 1964 | 3.50 million | +7.7% |
| 1965 | 3.75 million | +7.0% |
| 1966 | 3.88 million | +3.6% |
| 1967 | 3.99 million | +2.8% |
| 1968 | 4.10 million | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 4.27 million | +4.0% |
| 1970 | 4.44 million | +4.1% |
| 1971 | 4.60 million | +3.4% |
| 1972 | 4.73 million | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 4.85 million | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 5.04 million | +3.9% |
| 1975 | 5.06 million | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 5.12 million | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 5.23 million | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 5.33 million | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 5.43 million | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 5.51 million | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 5.60 million | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 5.69 million | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 5.78 million | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 5.87 million | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 5.82 million | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 5.85 million | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 5.92 million | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 5.99 million | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 6.02 million | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 5.91 million | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 5.83 million | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 5.75 million | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 5.71 million | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 5.70 million | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 5.67 million | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 5.61 million | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 5.56 million | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 5.52 million | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 5.49 million | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 5.46 million | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 5.49 million | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 5.46 million | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 5.45 million | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 5.42 million | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 5.39 million | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 5.39 million | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 5.36 million | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 5.34 million | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 5.34 million | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 5.32 million | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 5.36 million | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 5.32 million | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 5.30 million | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 5.28 million | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 5.25 million | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 5.22 million | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 5.19 million | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 5.17 million | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 5.14 million | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 5.08 million | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 5.04 million | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 5.02 million | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 5.01 million | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 5.00 million | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 4.98 million | -0.3% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 4.98 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.22 million, 2.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 4.98 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.89 million, 1.3× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.36 million | 1.97 million | 2.78 million | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.59 million | 2.92 million | 4.27 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.98 million | 4.44 million | 5.43 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.81 million | 5.51 million | 6.02 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.68 million | 5.49 million | 5.91 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.41 million | 5.34 million | 5.49 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.25 million | 5.14 million | 5.36 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.02 million | 4.98 million | 5.08 million | 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)
- Population growth rate -0.733 (2100)
- Population density 32.53 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 146,527 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban and rural population in Bulgaria?
- Urban and rural population in Bulgaria was 4.98 million in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest urban and rural population recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 6.02 million in 1989.
- What is the lowest urban and rural population recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.97 million in 1950.
- How does Bulgaria rank for urban and rural population?
- Bulgaria ranks 100th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban and rural population rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Urban and rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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