2023 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 country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. 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 and the EU in 2007.

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

987 sq km (2013)

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

46.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 29.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 15.5% (2018 est.)

forest

36.7% (2018 est.)

other

16.4% (2018 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, Czechia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 kmnote – [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

14.03% (male 492,147/female 465,612)

15-64 years

65.17% (male 2,263,479/female 2,185,969)

65 years and over

20.81% (2023 est.) (male 570,425/female 850,104)

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

8 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.9% (2014)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

8.5% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

57.3% (2023 est.)

Death rate

14.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

35.3

potential support ratio

2.8 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

57.3

youth dependency ratio

22

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 97.4% of population

improved: total

total: 99% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 2.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.5% of population

Education expenditures

4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

note

note: Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 9–11% of Bulgaria's population

Gross reproduction rate

0.73 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

7.5 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

6.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

8.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 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

79.2 years

male

72.6 years

total population

75.8 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.2% (2021)

male

98.7%

total population

98.4%

Major urban areas - population

1.288 million SOFIA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

7 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

46.6 years

male

43 years

total

44.7 years (2023 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 (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25% (2016)

Physicians density

4.2 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

6,827,736 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

-0.66% (2023 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

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2020)

male

13 years

total

14 years

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 (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

37.1% (2020 est.)

male

40.9% (2020 est.)

total

39% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.51 children born/woman (2023 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 Saint Sofia Church in the city, parts of which date back to the 4th century A.D.

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

amendments

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; amended several times, last in 2015

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.

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 Kenneth MERTEN (since 7 April 2023)

email address and website

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

embassy

16, Kozyak Street, Sofia 1408

FAX

[359] (2) 937-5320

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 Georgi Velikov PANAYOTOV (since 7 June 2022)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

office@bulgaria-embassy.orghttps://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); Vice President Iliana IOTOVA (since 22 January 2017)

election results

2021: Rumen RADEV reelected president in second round; percent of vote in 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%

elections/appointments

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); election last held on 14 and 21 November 2021 (next to be held in fall 2026); 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

head of government

Prime Minister Nikolay DENKOV (since 6 June 2023)

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the pan-Slavic white-blue-red colors were modified by substituting a green band (representing freedom) for the blue

note

note: the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe, has been removed

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, 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 (organized into 2 colleges with various panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 justices); note - Constitutional Court 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

description

unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie (240 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list, proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party/coalition - GERB-SDS 25.4%, PP-DB 23.5%, Revival 13.6%, DPS 13.2%, BSP for Bulgaria 8.6%, ITN 3.9%, other 11.8%; seats by party/coalition GERB-SDS 69, PP-DB 64, Revival 37, DPS 36, BSP for Bulgaria 23, ITN 11; composition - men 182, women 58, percent of women 24.2%

elections

last held on 2 April 2023 (next election to be held in 2027)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Tsvetan Tsvetkov RADOSLAVOV

name

"Mila Rodino" (Dear Homeland)

note

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

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; national colors: white, green, red

Political parties and leaders

BSP for Bulgaria [Korneliya NINOVA] (electoral alliance of BSP, PKT, Ecoglasnost)Bulgarian Rise or BV [Stefan YANEV]Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Korneliya NINOVA]Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB [Boyko BORISOV] (alliance with SDS) Democratic Bulgaria or DB (electoral alliance of Yes! Bulgaria, DSB, and The Greens) [Atanas ATANASOV, Hristo IVANOV]Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Atanas ATANASOV]Ecoglasnost [Emil GEORGIEV]Green Movement or The Greens [Dobromira KOSTOVA, Vladislav PENEV]Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPS [Mustafa KARADAYI]Political Club Thrace or PKT [Stefan NACHEZ]Revival [Kostadin KOSTADINOV]Stand Up.BG or IS.BG [Maya MANOLOVA]There is Such a People or ITN [Slavi TRIFONOV]Union of Democratic Forces or SDS [Rumen HRISTOV] (alliance with GERB) Yes! Bulgaria [Hristo IVANOV]We Continue the Change or PP [Kiril PETKOV and Asen VASILEV]We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria or PP-DB [Kiril PETKOV, Asen VASILEV, Hristo IVANOV, and Atanas ATANASOV] (electoral alliance of PP, DB, Yes! Bulgaria)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

wheat, maize, sunflower seed, milk, barley, rapeseed, potatoes, grapes, tomatoes, watermelons

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

5% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

19.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$26.544 billion (2020 est.)

revenues

$24.487 billion (2020 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BBB (2017)

Moody's rating

Baa1 (2020)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

BBB (2019)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

$1.264 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$31.19 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$373.66 million (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$41.139 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$39.059 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

upper-middle-income EU economy; improving living standards and very robust economic growth; coal-based infrastructure; legacy structural vulnerabilities and widespread corruption; increasing Russian economic relations, particularly through energy trade

Exchange rates

Currency

leva (BGN) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

1.735 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

1.657 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

1.747 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1.716 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1.654 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$44.041 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$39.541 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$51.505 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

copper, wheat, electricity, refined petroleum, packaged medicines (2021)

note

note: Bulgarian amphetamine production remains a significant illicit trade export

Exports - partners

Germany 16%, Romania 8%, Italy 7%, Turkey 7%, Greece 6% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

66.3% (2017 est.)

government consumption

16% (2017 est.)

household consumption

61.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-64.8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

19.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1.7% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

4.3% (2017 est.)

industry

28% (2017 est.)

services

67.4% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$68.49 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

40.3 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

31.2% (2017)

lowest 10%

1.9%

Imports

Imports 2019

$41.843 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$38.197 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$50.059 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, copper, cars, packaged medicines, refined petroleum (2019)

Imports - partners

Germany 11%, Russia 9%, Italy 7%, Romania 7%, Turkey 7% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

1.72% (2021 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) 2019

3.1% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

1.67% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

3.3% (2021 est.)

Labor force

3.291 million (2021 est.)

note

note: number of employed persons

Population below poverty line

23.8% (2019 est.)

Public debt

note

note: defined by the EU's Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities: currency and deposits, securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives, and loans; general government sector comprises the subsectors: central government, state government, local government, and social security funds

Public debt 2018

28.69% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

26.92% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

32.24% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$162.328 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$155.902 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$167.804 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

4.04% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-3.96% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

7.63% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$23,300 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$22,500 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$24,400 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$27.902 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$37.86 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$39.188 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

20.27% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

4.23% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

5.12% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

5.42% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

14%

male

14.3%

total

14.2% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

20.483 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

5.642 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

12.248 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

38.373 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

23.213 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

35,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

675,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

22.298 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

2.366 billion metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

30,905,170,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

7.115 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

3.707 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

11.097 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

2.767 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

99.5% (2021)

electrification - total population

99.8% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

99.9% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

36.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

9.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

44.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

103.924 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

2,929,401,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

2.747 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

imports

2,950,157,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

62.439 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

proven reserves

5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

2.01GW (2023)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

2

Number of operational nuclear reactors

2 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

34.6% (2021)

Percent of total energy produced

40% (2021)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

119,800 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

15 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

97,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

4,500 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

92,720 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

49,260 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

144,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

30 (2020 est.)

total

2,115,053 (2020 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 broadcasting, especially in urban areas

Internet country code

.bg

Internet users

percent of population

75% (2021 est.)

total

5.175 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line over 11 per 100 persons, mobile-cellular teledensity, fostered by multiple service providers, is over 115 telephones per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Bulgaria’s telecom market was for some years affected by the difficult macroeconomic climate, as well as by relatively high unemployment and a shrinking population; these factors continue to slow investments in the sector, though revenue growth has returned since 2019; there still remains pressure on revenue growth, with consumers migrating from fixed-line voice telephony to mobile and VoIP alternatives, while the volume of SMS and MMS traffic has been affected by the growing use of alternative OTT messaging services; investing in network upgrades and its development of services based on 5G have stimulated other market players to invest in their own service provision; by the end of 2022 about 70% of the population is expected to be covered by 5G; the broadband market in Bulgaria enjoys excellent cross-platform competition; the share of the market held by DSL has fallen steadily as a result of customers being migrated to fiber networks; by early 2021 about 65% of fixed-line broadband subscribers were on fiber infrastructure; Bulgaria joins the U.S. State Department’s Clean Network initiative in a bid to protect its 5G communications networks (2022)

international

country code - 359; Caucasus Cable System via submarine cable provides connectivity to Ukraine, Georgia and Russia; a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to Italy, Albania, and Macedonia; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intersputnik in the Atlantic Ocean region, 2 Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

11 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

787,637 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

115 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

7,902,756 (2021 est.)

Airports

68 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

5

joint use (civil-military) airports

1

military airports

6

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

other airports

45

total

57

Airports - with unpaved runways

11

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

LZ

Heliports

1 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 3, general cargo 14, oil tanker 8, other 55

total

80 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

1.38 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

1,022,645 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

44

number of registered air carriers

8 (2020)

Pipelines

2,765 km gas, 346 km oil, 378 km refined products (2017)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Burgas, Varna (Black Sea)

Railways

total

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

Roadways

note

note: does not include Category IV local roads

paved

19,235 km (2011) (includes 458 km of expressways)

total

19,512 km (2011)

unpaved

277 km (2011)

Waterways

470 km (2009)

Military - note

the Bulgarian military is a professional force that 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 developmentthe 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, eight ground combat divisions, and more than 200 Soviet-made combat aircraft; the principal combat units of the modern-day Land Forces are two mechanized infantry brigades and regiments of artillery and mountain infantry, while the Air Force has a mix of about 20 US-made and Soviet-era fighter aircraft; it is in the midst of retiring the Soviet fighters and replacing them with additional US-made aircraft; NATO partners provide assistance with protecting Bulgaria’s airspace; the Navy has four frigates, including one Soviet-era and three secondhand vessels acquired from Belgium, plus three Soviet-era corvettes; Bulgaria retired the last of its Soviet-era submarines in 2011; the military also has a joint special operations command, a communications, information support, and cyber defense command, and a joint forces command, which was established in 2021 to coordinate the operations of the services (2023)

Military and security forces

Bulgarian Armed Forces (aka Bulgarian Army): Land Forces, Air Force, NavyMinistry of Interior: General Directorate National Police (GDNP), General Directorate Border Police (GDBP), General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC), Fire Safety and Civil Protection General Directorate, Special Unit for Combating Terrorism (SOBT) (2023)

note

note: the GDMP includes the Gendarmerie, a special police force with military status deployed to secure important facilities, buildings and infrastructure, to respond to riots, and to counter militant threats

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 30,000 active-duty personnel (19,000 Army; 4,000 Navy; 7,000 Air Force) (2023)

note

note: in 2021, Bulgaria released a 10-year defense plan which called for an active military strength of 43,000

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory consists primarily of Soviet-era equipment, although in recent years Bulgaria has procured limited amounts of more modern weapons systems from some Western countries (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

3.1% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.6% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.6% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-40 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in 2007; service obligation 6-9 months (2023)

note

note 1: in 2021, women comprised about 17% of the Bulgarian military's full-time personnelnote 2: in 2020, Bulgaria announced a program to allow every citizen up to the age of 40 to join the armed forces for 6 months of military service in the voluntary reserve

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

source country for amphetamine tablets

Refugees and internally displaced persons

note

note: 100,671 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2023); Bulgaria is predominantly a transit country

refugees (country of origin)

22,226 (Syria) (mid-year 2022); 51,975 (Ukraine) (as of 5 December 2023)

stateless persons

1,129 (2022)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Bulgaria does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; officials convicted more traffickers, informally adopted new National Action Plans for 2022 and 2023, and utilized seized assets to supplement shelters and service centers assisting victims; the government mandated specialized training for investigative prosecutors and magistrates and required assignment of trafficking cases to those individuals; the National Investigative Service established a cyber unit, focusing on internet-based exploitation, including trafficking; Bulgaria and Germany cooperated on a bilateral program to combat labor trafficking, information campaigns targeting the large number of Bulgarians seeking jobs in Germany, and a referral mechanism for trafficking cases between countries; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts, compared with the previous reporting period, to expand its anti-trafficking capacity; courts continued to issue suspended sentences for most convicted traffickers; officials did not adequately screen for trafficking indicators or identify victims, particularly among vulnerable groups such as Roma; the government provided limited funding to NGOs for victim services and a national commission for capacity building and implementation of anti-trafficking activities, limiting the sustainability of the government’s anti-trafficking systems; a lack of resources, legal authority, and training impeded law enforcement; corruption in law enforcement and the judiciary hindered progress, and alleged complicity in trafficking crimes persisted; therefore, Bulgaria remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year (2023) 

trafficking profile

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Bulgaria, and traffickers exploit victims from Bulgaria abroad; Bulgaria remains one of the primary source countries of human trafficking in the EU; vulnerable groups include Bulgarians with little education and income, the unemployed, children in residential care, homeless individuals, individuals working in commercial sex, migrants, and Roma; most victims are Roma or individuals with disabilities or mental health conditions; Bulgarians of Turkish ethnicity and Romani women and girls account for most of the sex trafficking victims in Bulgaria; family- or clan-based organizations and independent traffickers are overwhelmingly of Romani ethnicity and usually know the victims, who are also Roma; sex trafficking rings typically consist of Bulgarian traffickers who cooperate with foreign nationals in destination countries but do not have direct ties to organized crime groups; traffickers exploit Bulgarian women and girls in sex trafficking throughout Western Europe and in Bulgaria, and exploit Bulgarian men and boys in forced labor across Europe, predominantly in agriculture, construction, and hospitality industries; Romani children are exploited in forced labor, particularly begging and pick-pocketing in Austria, France, and Sweden; child trafficking cases reportedly are increasing; thousands of Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and seeking sanctuary in Bulgaria are highly vulnerable to trafficking; corruption among law enforcement and judiciary officials continues to enable some trafficking crimes (2023)

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) (2023)

Space program overview

has a long history of involvement in space-related activities going back to the 1960s; develops, produces, and operates satellites, mostly with foreign partners; 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 European Space Agency (ESA) since 2015; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of the ESA and EU (and bi-laterally with their member states), India, Japan, Russia, and the US (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

Terrorist group(s)

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

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

41.71 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

6.77 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

17.29 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

46.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 29.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 15.5% (2018 est.)

forest

36.7% (2018 est.)

other

16.4% (2018 est.)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Dunav (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 kmnote – [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)

Revenue from coal

0.14% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.22% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

21.3 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

760 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

3.48 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

840 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

76.7% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

3.011 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

572,993 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

19% (2015 est.)