Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 74.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
74.2%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
90th
of 236 countries
All-time high
74.2%
in 2025
All-time low
27.1%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Bulgaria, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 74.2% for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in 2025. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Bulgaria peaked at 74.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 27.1%, in 1950.
That places Bulgaria 90th 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.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 27.1% | — |
| 1951 | 28.0% | +3.2% |
| 1952 | 28.8% | +2.9% |
| 1953 | 29.7% | +3.2% |
| 1954 | 30.8% | +3.4% |
| 1955 | 31.6% | +2.9% |
| 1956 | 33.1% | +4.5% |
| 1957 | 34.0% | +2.7% |
| 1958 | 34.8% | +2.4% |
| 1959 | 35.7% | +2.7% |
| 1960 | 37.1% | +4.0% |
| 1961 | 38.4% | +3.5% |
| 1962 | 39.3% | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 40.3% | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 43.0% | +6.9% |
| 1965 | 45.7% | +6.2% |
| 1966 | 47.0% | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 48.0% | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 49.0% | +2.1% |
| 1969 | 50.6% | +3.2% |
| 1970 | 52.3% | +3.4% |
| 1971 | 53.8% | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 55.2% | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 56.3% | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 58.1% | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 58.0% | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 58.5% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 59.4% | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 60.5% | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 61.5% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 62.1% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 63.0% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 63.9% | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 64.6% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 65.6% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 65.0% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 65.3% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 66.0% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 66.7% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 67.3% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 67.0% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 67.1% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 67.2% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 67.4% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 67.7% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 67.8% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 67.7% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 67.7% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 67.9% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 68.0% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 68.3% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 69.2% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 69.5% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 69.8% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 69.9% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 70.1% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 70.5% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 70.7% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 70.9% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 71.3% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 71.5% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 72.6% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 72.8% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 73.0% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 73.1% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 73.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 73.2% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 73.4% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 73.6% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 73.7% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 73.3% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 73.3% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 73.5% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 73.7% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 73.9% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 74.2% | +0.3% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 74.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 91% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 74.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 69.6%, 1.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 31.4% | 27.1% | 35.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 43.8% | 37.1% | 50.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 57.4% | 52.3% | 61.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 65.0% | 62.1% | 67.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 67.6% | 67.0% | 68.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.0% | 68.3% | 71.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.0% | 71.5% | 73.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.7% | 73.3% | 74.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More population data for Bulgaria
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.18 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.7245 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 146,527 people (2100)
- Population density 32.53 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.921 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.8803 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Bulgaria?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Bulgaria was 74.2% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 74.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.1% in 1950.
- How does Bulgaria rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- Bulgaria ranks 90th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.