2020 Edition

Background

The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks overran the country. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878, and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, and the Schengen Area for air and sea travel in 2024.

Area

land

108,489 sq km

total

110,879 sq km

water

2,390 sq km

Area - comparative

almost identical in size to Virginia; slightly larger than Tennessee

Climate

temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Coastline

354 km

Elevation

highest point

Musala 2,925 m

lowest point

Black Sea 0 m

mean elevation

472 m

Geographic coordinates

43 00 N, 25 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

Irrigated land

929 sq km (2016)

Land boundaries

border countries

Greece 472 km; Macedonia 162 km; Romania 605 km; Serbia 344 km; Turkey 223 km

total

1,806 km

Land use

agricultural land

46.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 32.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 12.7% (2023 est.)

forest

36.2% (2023 est.)

other

17.7% (2023 est.)

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey

Major rivers (by length in km)

Dunav (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

(Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

earthquakes; landslides

Natural resources

bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger populations

Terrain

mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Age structure

0-14 years

13.8% (male 479,586/female 453,423)

15-64 years

65.2% (male 2,250,962/female 2,171,279)

65 years and over

21% (2024 est.) (male 572,943/female 854,466)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

4.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

4.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

11.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

1.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

7.88 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.6% (2014)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

56.6% (2023 est.)

Death rate

14.18 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

32.7 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

3.1 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

53.3 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

20.7 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 97.3% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99.1% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 2.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

4.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

12% national budget (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

Bulgarian 78.5%, Turkish 7.8%, Roma 4.1%, other 1.2%, unspecified 9.4% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.74 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

8.6% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

11.6% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

7.8 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

6.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

8.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

7.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

Bulgarian (official) 77.3%, Turkish 7.9%, Romani 3.5%, other 1%, unspecified 10.4% (2021 est.)

major-language sample(s)

Светoвен Алманах, незаменимият източник за основна информация. (Bulgarian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.4 years

male

72.9 years

total population

76.1 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.288 million SOFIA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

6 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

47 years

male

43.3 years

total

45.5 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

26.4 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Bulgarian

noun

Bulgarian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25% (2016)

Physician density

4.33 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

3,456,782

male

3,281,215

total

6,737,997 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.66% (2025 est.)

Religions

Christian 64.7%, Muslim 9.8%, other 0.1%, none 4.7%, unspecified 20.7% (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2023 est.)

male

15 years (2023 est.)

total

15 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.67 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

30.3% (2025 est.)

male

36.2% (2025 est.)

total

33.1% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.52 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

76.7% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Sofia-Grad (Sofia City), Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

named after the Church of Saint Sofia in the city, parts of which may date to the 4th century

geographic coordinates

42 41 N, 23 19 E

name

Sofia

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Bulgaria

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the National Assembly or by the president of the republic; passage requires three-fourths majority vote of National Assembly members in three ballots; signed by the National Assembly chairperson; note - under special circumstances, a "Grand National Assembly" is elected with the authority to write a new constitution and amend certain articles of the constitution, including those affecting basic civil rights and national sovereignty; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in each of several readings

history

several previous; latest drafted between late 1990 and early 1991, adopted 13 July 1991

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Bulgaria

conventional short form

Bulgaria

etymology

named after the Bulgar tribes who settled the lower Balkan region in the 7th century A.D.; the tribal name may come from the Turkic word bulga, or "mixed," referring to the blend of Turkic and Slavic ethnicities in the tribes

former

Kingdom of Bulgaria, People's Republic of Bulgaria

local long form

Republika Bulgaria

local short form

Bulgaria

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires H. Martin McDOWELL (since May 2025)

email address and website

acs_sofia@state.gov https://bg.usembassy.gov/

embassy

16, Kozyak Street, Sofia 1408

FAX

[359] (2) 937-5209

mailing address

5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740

telephone

[359] (2) 937-5100

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Stefka YOVCHEVA (since 7 May 2025)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

office@bulgaria-embassy.org https://www.bulgaria-embassy.org/en/homepage/

FAX

[1] (202) 234-7973

telephone

[1] (202) 387 5770

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly

chief of state

President Rumen RADEV (since 22 January 2017)

election results

2021: Rumen RADEV reelected president in second round; percent of vote in the first round - Rumen RADEV (independent) 49.4%, Anastas GERDZHIKOV (independent) 22.8%, Mustafa KARADAYI (DPS) 11.6%, Kostadin KOSTADINOV (Revival) 3.9%, Lozan PANOV (independent) 3.7%, other 8.6%; percent of vote in the second round - Rumen RADEV 66.7%, Anastas GERDZHIKOV 31.8%, neither 1.5% 2016: Rumen RADEV elected president in second round; percent of vote - Rumen RADEV (independent, supported by Bulgarian Socialist Party) 59.4%, Tsetska TSACHEVA (GERB) 36.2%, neither 4.5%

election/appointment process

president and vice president elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly

expected date of next election

fall 2026

head of government

Prime Minister Rosen ZHELYAZKOV (since 16 January 2025)

most recent election date

14 and 21 November 2021

Flag

description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red meaning: white stands for peace, love, and freedom; green for the country's agricultural wealth; red for the independence struggle and military courage history: originally adopted in 1879 as a modified version of the Russian tricolor flag, using green instead of blue; the communist coat of arms was added to the flag in various forms between 1948 and 1990, when it was removed after the communist government collapsed

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Cassation consists of a chairman and approximately 72 judges organized into penal, civil, and commercial colleges; Supreme Administrative Court is organized into 2 colleges with various panels of 5 judges each; Constitutional Court consists of 12 justices) and resides outside the judiciary

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court of Cassation and Supreme Administrative judges elected by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC (consists of 25 members with extensive legal experience) and appointed by the president; judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Constitutional Court justices elected by the National Assembly and appointed by the president and the SJC; justices appointed for 9-year terms with renewal of 4 justices every 3 years

subordinate courts

appeals courts; regional and district courts; administrative courts; courts martial

Legal system

civil law

Legislative branch

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

October 2028

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

National Assembly (Narodno sabranie)

most recent election date

10/27/2024

number of seats

240 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria Party (GERB) - Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) (66); We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (36); Revival (Vuzrazhdane) (33); Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) - New Beginning (29); Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) - United Left (19); Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (APS) (19); There is Such a People (PP-ITN) (17); Other (21)

percentage of women in chamber

25%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1964; composed in 1885 by a student en route to fight in the Serbo-Bulgarian War

lyrics/music

Tsvetan RADOSLAVOV

title

“Mila Rodino” (Dear Homeland)

National coat of arms

Bulgaria’s coat of arms in the national colors of white, green, and red was adopted in 1997; the three lions are a national symbol for strength, courage, and leadership that was used during the country’s liberation movement in the 1870s and the kingdom period in the early 20th century; above the shield is the crown of Bulgaria (originally the crown of the medieval Bulgarian tsars) with a gold cross on top; a white scroll over the oak branches bears the Bulgarian national motto, “United we stand strong”

National color(s)

white, green, red

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Boyana Church (c); Madara Rider (c); Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (c); Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo (c); Rila Monastery (c); Ancient City of Nessebar (c); Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari (c); Srebarna Nature Reserve (n); Pirin National Park (n); Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians (n)

total World Heritage Sites

10 (7 cultural, 3 natural)

National holiday

Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)

National symbol(s)

lion

Political parties

BSP for Bulgaria (electoral alliance of BSP, PKT, Ecoglasnost) Bulgarian Rise or BV Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB (alliance with SDS)  Democratic Bulgaria or DB (electoral alliance of Yes! Bulgaria, DSB, and The Greens)  Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB Ecoglasnost Green Movement or The Greens  Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPS Political Club Thrace or PKT Revival Stand Up.BG or IS.BG There is Such a People or ITN Union of Democratic Forces or SDS (alliance with GERB)  Yes! Bulgaria  We Continue the Change or PP  We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria or PP-DB (electoral alliance of PP, DB, Yes! Bulgaria)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

wheat, maize, sunflower seeds, barley, milk, rapeseed, grapes, potatoes, triticale, tomatoes (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

4.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

20.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$37.546 billion (2023 est.)

revenues

$35.615 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

-$2.43 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$894.86 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$2.014 billion (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$14.277 billion (2022 est.)

Economic overview

upper-middle-income EU economy; currency pegged to the euro, with eurozone accession pending; declining energy prices helping lower inflation rate; EU structural funds contributing to investment recovery; skilled labor shortage driven by emigration and aging population

Exchange rates

Currency

leva (BGN) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

1.716 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1.654 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1.86 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1.809 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

1.808 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$63.246 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$63.415 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$62.661 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, garments, refined copper, wheat, natural gas (2023)

Exports - partners

Germany 14%, Romania 11%, Italy 8%, Greece 6%, Turkey 5% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

55.8% (2024 est.)

government consumption

19.7% (2024 est.)

household consumption

57.6% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-53.5% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

17.9% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

2.5% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2.1% (2024 est.)

industry

22.5% (2024 est.)

services

62.6% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$112.212 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

38.2 (2022 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

30.1% (2022 est.)

lowest 10%

2.1% (2022 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$62.261 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$59.158 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$60.029 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, copper ore, cars, packaged medicine, electricity (2023)

Imports - partners

Germany 12%, Turkey 8%, Romania 8%, Russia 7%, Italy 6% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

1.9% (2024 est.)

Industries

electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, automotive parts, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel; outsourcing centers

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

15.3% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

9.4% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.4% (2024 est.)

Labor force

3.124 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

20.6% (2022 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2023

30.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$209.683 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$213.64 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$219.645 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

1.9% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

2.8% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$32,400 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$33,100 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$34,100 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

2.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

2.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

2.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$40.989 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$46.334 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$43.698 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

20.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

4.3% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.4% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

4.2% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

11.8% (2024 est.)

male

12.4% (2024 est.)

total

12.1% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

20.557 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

1.091 million metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

753,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

production

20.97 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

2.174 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

34.221 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

7.748 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

4.415 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

12.939 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.972 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

99.6%

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

4.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

35.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

7.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

40.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

8.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

102.171 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

2.607 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

2.75 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

imports

2.544 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

10.444 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

2.01GW (2025 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

4 (2025)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

2 (2025)

Percent of total electricity production

40.3% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

15 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

101,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

36 (2023 est.)

total

2.45 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

4 national terrestrial TV stations with 1 state-owned and 3 privately owned; a vast array of TV stations are available from cable and satellite TV providers; state-owned national radio broadcasts over 3 networks; large number of private radio stations, especially in urban areas

Internet country code

.bg

Internet users

percent of population

80% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

8 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

552,000 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

118 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

7.98 million (2024 est.)

Airports

107 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

LZ

Heliports

8 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 2, general cargo 13, oil tanker 8, other 55

total

78 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Burgas, Varna

large

1

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

2

small

1

total ports

2 (2024)

very small

0

Railways

total

4,029 km (2020) 2,871 km electrified

Military - note

the Bulgarian military is responsible for guaranteeing Bulgaria’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, providing support to international peace and security missions, and contributing to national security in peacetime, including such missions as responding to disasters or assisting with border security; the military trains regularly including in multinational exercises with regional partners and with NATO since Bulgaria joined the organization in 2004; it also participates in overseas peacekeeping and other security missions under the EU, NATO, and the UN; in 2022, Bulgaria established and began leading a NATO multinational battlegroup as part of an effort to boost NATO defenses in Eastern Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; in 2021, Bulgaria approved a 10-year defense development program, which included calls for equipment upgrades and procurements, boosts in manpower, organizational reforms, and greater focus on such areas as cyber defense, communications, logistics support, and research and development the Bulgarian military has participated in several significant conflicts since its establishment in 1878, including the Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885), the First Balkan War (1912-13), the Second Balkan War (1913), World War I (1915-1918), and World War II (1941-45); during the Cold War it was one of the Warsaw Pact’s largest militaries with over 150,000 personnel and more than 200 Soviet-made combat aircraft (2025)

Military and security forces

Bulgarian Armed Forces (aka Bulgarian Army): Land Forces, Air Force, Navy Ministry of Interior: General Directorate National Police (GDNP), General Directorate Border Police (GDBP), Special Unit for Combating Terrorism (SOBT) (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 28,000 active duty Armed Forces  (2025)

Military deployments

160 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory consists largely of Soviet-era armaments, although in recent years Bulgaria has procured some more modern Western weapons systems in an effort to modernize and achieve NATO interoperability (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2021

1.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military Expenditures 2025

2.1% of GDP (2025 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary service for men and women (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

114,728 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

862 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

1960s-1990s - participated in the Soviet Interkosmos program, which included the first Bulgarian in space (1979), first domestically produced scientific satellite launched on a Soviet rocket (1981), and participation in the Soviet VEGA project (1985) 2017 - first communications satellite (BulgariaSat-1) built and launched by US  2019 - first domestically built data/educational cube satellite (EnduroSat-1) launched by US 2023 - signed the US-led Artemis Accords outlining principles for cooperation in space exploration 2025 - domestically produced, multispectral remote sensing satellite (Balkan-1) launched by US as part of EU's Copernicus Earth observation program

Space agency/agencies

Space Research and Technology Institute - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (SRTI-BAS; formed in 1987 but originated from the Central Laboratory for Space Research and the Bulgarian Aerospace Agency, which was established in 1969) (2025)

Space program overview

has a long history of space-related activities going back to the 1960s; develops, produces, and operates satellites; researches, develops, and produces other space technologies, including those related to astrophysics, remote sensing, data exploitation, optics, and electronics; has specialized in producing scientific instruments for space research; has more than 20 research institutes; Cooperating State of the ESA since 2015; works with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of the ESA, EU, individual ESA and EU member states, India, Japan, Russia, and the US (2025)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

14.486 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

5.021 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

13.958 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

33.465 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes

International environmental agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

18.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

21.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

726.434 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial

3.879 billion cubic meters (2022)

municipal

838 million cubic meters (2022)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2.859 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

29.8% (2022 est.)