Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 3.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
3.5%
Change on year
down 16.0%
World rank
132nd
of 185 countries
All-time high
21.4%
in 1993
All-time low
1.7%
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bulgaria, 1990–2025

051015201990200720251990: 1.7 %1991: 11.1 %1992: 15.3 %1993: 21.4 %1994: 20.2 %1995: 15.9 %1996: 13.7 %1997: 13.7 %1998: 12.2 %1999: 14.1 %2000: 16.2 %2001: 19.9 %2002: 18.1 %2003: 13.7 %2004: 12 %2005: 10.1 %2006: 9 %2007: 6.9 %2008: 5.6 %2009: 6.8 %2010: 10.3 %2011: 11.3 %2012: 12.3 %2013: 12.9 %2014: 11.4 %2015: 9.1 %2016: 7.6 %2017: 6.2 %2018: 5.2 %2019: 4.1 %2020: 5 %2021: 5.2 %2022: 4.1 %2023: 4.3 %2024: 4.2 %2025: 3.5 %

Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Bulgaria recorded 3.5% for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in 2025.

That represents a change of down 16.0% on the previous year and down 61.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bulgaria peaked at 21.4% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 1990.

That places Bulgaria 132nd out of 185 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 13.9% 1.7% 21.4% 10
2000s 11.8% 5.6% 19.9% 10
2010s 9.0% 4.1% 12.9% 10
2020s 4.4% 3.5% 5.2% 6

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 129 Germany 3.8% compare
  2. 130 Hong Kong 3.7% compare
  3. 131 Bangladesh 3.6% compare
  4. 133 Kyrgyzstan 3.5% compare
  5. 134 Nigeria 3.5% compare
  6. 135 Uganda 3.4% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bulgaria?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bulgaria was 3.5% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 21.4% in 1993.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 1990.
How does Bulgaria rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
Bulgaria ranks 132nd out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is down 61.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates
Unit
%
Source
Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 5,169 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.