2024 Edition Primary

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

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, 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

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

7.9 births/1,000 population (2024 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

14.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

7.5 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

6.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

8.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

7.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 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.)

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

47 years

male

43.3 years

total

45.1 years (2024 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 (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25% (2016)

Physician density

4.2 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

female

3,479,168 (2024 est.)

male

3,303,491

total

6,782,659

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

-0.66% (2024 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 (2024 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 (2024 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 2023

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) 937-5209

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 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)

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%

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

Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar GLAVCHEV (since 9 April 2024)

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, 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 (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 179, women 61, percentage women 25.4%

elections

last held on 2 April 2023 (snap election to be held on 9 June 2024)

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

BSP for Bulgaria (electoral alliance of BSP, PKT, Ecoglasnost)Bulgarian Rise or BVBulgarian Socialist Party or BSPCitizens 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 DSBEcoglasnostGreen Movement or The Greens Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPSPolitical Club Thrace or PKTRevivalStand Up.BG or IS.BGThere is Such a People or ITNUnion 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, milk, barley, rapeseed, potatoes, grapes, tomatoes, chicken (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

5.3% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

19.1% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$35.619 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$33.1 billion (2022 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 2021

-$1.516 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$591.65 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$248.13 million (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$14.277 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

upper-middle-income EU economy; currency pegged to the euro with accession pending; joined Schengen area as of March 2024; global events and internal political turmoil triggered export slump and stalled reforms; 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 2019

1.747 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$51.49 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$60.712 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$62.118 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, natural gas, garments, wheat, refined copper (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Germany 13%, Romania 13%, Italy 7%, Turkey 6%, Greece 6% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

60.9% (2023 est.)

government consumption

18.2% (2023 est.)

household consumption

59.8% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-57.7% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

17.3% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

1.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

3% (2023 est.)

industry

25.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

59.3% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$101.584 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

39 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

29.9% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

2% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$50.048 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$60.252 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$58.79 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, copper ore, cars, packaged medicine (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Germany 10%, Russia 10%, Turkey 9%, Romania 7%, Greece 6% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

0.91% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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) 2021

3.3% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

15.33% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

9.44% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

3.103 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

20.6% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

30.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$202.24 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$210.181 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$214.061 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

7.66% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.93% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

1.85% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$29,400 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$32,500 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$33,300 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

2.35% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

2.25% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

2.44% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$39.188 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$40.989 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$46.334 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

21.8% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

5.27% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

4.27% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.3% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

12.2% (2023 est.)

male

11.8% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

12% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

24.654 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

5.395 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

13.185 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

43.234 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

35.97 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

504,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

928,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

production

35.516 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

2.366 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

35.369 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

13.665 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

1.47 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

12.031 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

2.616 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

99.6%

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

4.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

48.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

7.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

nuclear

32.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

107.943 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

2.801 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

2.75 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

imports

2.911 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

20.837 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

2.01GW (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

4 (2023)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

2 (2023)

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 (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

4,000 bbl/day (2023 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

10 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

691,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

117 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

7.964 million (2022 est.)

Airports

111 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

LZ

Heliports

8 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

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

total

78 (2023)

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

key ports

Burgas, Varna

large

1

ports with oil terminals

2

small

1

total ports

2 (2024)

Railways

total

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

Roadways

note

note: does not include Category IV local roads

total

19,117 km (2022)

Waterways

470 km (2009)

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 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 and more than 200 Soviet-made combat aircraft (2024)

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) (2024)

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 27,000 active-duty personnel (17,000 Army; 3,000 Navy; 7,000 Air Force) (2024)

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 mostly of Soviet-era equipment, although in recent years Bulgaria has procured limited amounts of more modern Western weapons systems (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

1.6% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.6% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.6% of GDP (2022)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.9% of GDP (2023)

Military Expenditures 2024

2.2% of GDP (2024 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

Illicit drugs

source country for amphetamine tablets

Refugees and internally displaced persons

note

note: 106,227 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-January 2024); Bulgaria is predominantly a transit country

refugees (country of origin)

22,226 (Syria) (mid-year 2022); 72,775 (Ukraine) (as of 8 March 2024)

stateless persons

1,129 (2022)

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) (2024)

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 (2024)

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 the Space Programs reference guide

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 the Terrorism reference guide

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, 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.)