Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 3.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bulgaria, 1990–2025
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.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.7% | — |
| 1991 | 11.1% | +552.9% |
| 1992 | 15.3% | +37.8% |
| 1993 | 21.4% | +39.8% |
| 1994 | 20.2% | -5.7% |
| 1995 | 15.9% | -21.1% |
| 1996 | 13.7% | -13.6% |
| 1997 | 13.7% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 12.2% | -10.9% |
| 1999 | 14.1% | +15.6% |
| 2000 | 16.2% | +15.0% |
| 2001 | 19.9% | +22.8% |
| 2002 | 18.1% | -9.1% |
| 2003 | 13.7% | -24.2% |
| 2004 | 12.0% | -12.3% |
| 2005 | 10.1% | -16.2% |
| 2006 | 9.0% | -11.2% |
| 2007 | 6.9% | -23.2% |
| 2008 | 5.6% | -18.5% |
| 2009 | 6.8% | +21.5% |
| 2010 | 10.3% | +50.8% |
| 2011 | 11.3% | +9.5% |
| 2012 | 12.3% | +9.0% |
| 2013 | 12.9% | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 11.4% | -11.7% |
| 2015 | 9.1% | -20.0% |
| 2016 | 7.6% | -17.1% |
| 2017 | 6.2% | -18.6% |
| 2018 | 5.2% | -15.5% |
| 2019 | 4.1% | -20.4% |
| 2020 | 5.0% | +21.4% |
| 2021 | 5.2% | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 4.1% | -19.7% |
| 2023 | 4.3% | +4.1% |
| 2024 | 4.2% | -3.6% |
| 2025 | 3.5% | -16.0% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 3.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 71% of the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 3.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.6%, 63% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bulgaria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +552.9% | 1.7% | 11.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More reference data data for Bulgaria
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3067 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2728 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2506 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.36 (2050)
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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.