Autopsy rate in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Autopsy rate was 2.9% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
2.9%
Change on year
down 6.5%
World rank
30th
of 39 countries
All-time high
22.6%
in 1983
All-time low
2.9%
in 2020
Years of data
41
1980–2020

Autopsy rate in Bulgaria, 1980–2020

5101520251980200020201980: 19.9 %1981: 20.6 %1982: 20 %1983: 22.6 %1984: 20.7 %1985: 19.5 %1986: 20.1 %1987: 19.3 %1988: 19.5 %1989: 18.9 %1990: 16.2 %1991: 12.8 %1992: 12.6 %1993: 9.9 %1994: 9.8 %1995: 9 %1996: 9.7 %1997: 8.5 %1998: 7.9 %1999: 9 %2000: 9.3 %2001: 9.3 %2002: 8.5 %2003: 8.6 %2004: 8.7 %2005: 8.2 %2006: 7.2 %2007: 6.1 %2008: 5.3 %2009: 5.7 %2010: 5.1 %2011: 5 %2012: 4.7 %2013: 4.4 %2014: 4 %2015: 3.9 %2016: 3.9 %2017: 3.7 %2018: 3.4 %2019: 3.1 %2020: 2.9 %

Source: Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for autopsy rate in Bulgaria is 2.9%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 41 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.5% on the previous year and down 43.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, autopsy rate in Bulgaria peaked at 22.6% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 2020.

That places Bulgaria 30th out of 39 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Autopsy rate in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Autopsy rate in Bulgaria, 1980 to 2020.
Year % Change
1980 19.9%
1981 20.6% +3.5%
1982 20.0% -2.9%
1983 22.6% +13.0%
1984 20.7% -8.4%
1985 19.5% -5.8%
1986 20.1% +3.1%
1987 19.3% -4.0%
1988 19.5% +1.0%
1989 18.9% -3.1%
1990 16.2% -14.3%
1991 12.8% -21.0%
1992 12.6% -1.6%
1993 9.9% -21.4%
1994 9.8% -1.0%
1995 9.0% -8.2%
1996 9.7% +7.9%
1997 8.5% -12.5%
1998 7.9% -7.1%
1999 9.0% +13.9%
2000 9.3% +3.3%
2001 9.3% +0.0%
2002 8.5% -8.6%
2003 8.6% +1.2%
2004 8.7% +1.2%
2005 8.2% -5.7%
2006 7.2% -12.2%
2007 6.1% -15.3%
2008 5.3% -13.1%
2009 5.7% +7.5%
2010 5.1% -10.5%
2011 5.0% -2.0%
2012 4.7% -6.0%
2013 4.4% -6.4%
2014 4.0% -9.1%
2015 3.9% -2.5%
2016 3.9% +0.0%
2017 3.7% -5.1%
2018 3.4% -8.1%
2019 3.1% -8.8%
2020 2.9% -6.5%

Bulgaria compared with similar countries

  • Bulgaria's 2.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.0%, 36% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
  • Bulgaria's 2.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.6%, 34% of the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 20.1% 18.9% 22.6% 10
1990s 10.5% 7.9% 16.2% 10
2000s 7.7% 5.3% 9.3% 10
2010s 4.1% 3.1% 5.1% 10
2020s 2.9% 2.9% 2.9% 1

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 27 Turkey 4.8% compare
  2. 28 Cyprus 4.7% compare
  3. 29 Switzerland 3.5% compare
  4. 31 North Macedonia 2.7% compare
  5. 31 Turkmenistan 2.7% compare
  6. 33 Denmark 2.6% compare

See the full ranking of 39 places →

More reference data data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is autopsy rate in Bulgaria?
Autopsy rate in Bulgaria was 2.9% in 2020, according to Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest autopsy rate recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 22.6% in 1983.
What is the lowest autopsy rate recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 2020.
How does Bulgaria rank for autopsy rate?
Bulgaria ranks 30th out of 39 countries with data for 2020.
Is autopsy rate rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is down 43.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Autopsy rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Autopsy rate in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/autopsy-rate/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Autopsy rate
Unit
%
Source
Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
39 places, 1,121 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

The share of all deaths for which an autopsy was performed. Autopsies may be used to determine the cause of sudden deaths; when there is a lack of doctors and nurses, medical records, or death certificate training; or for other legal or cultural reasons.