Military spending per armed forces personnel in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 38,339 constant 2024 US$ in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
38,339 constant 2024 US$
Change on year
down 49.9%
World rank
63rd
of 160 countries
All-time high
76,559 constant 2024 US$
in 2019
All-time low
6,240 constant 2024 US$
in 1997
Years of data
32
1989–2020

Military spending per armed forces personnel in Bulgaria, 1989–2020

020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k1989200420201989: 34.9k constant 2024 US$1990: 32.8k constant 2024 US$1991: 21.4k constant 2024 US$1992: 17.5k constant 2024 US$1993: 25.2k constant 2024 US$1994: 14.0k constant 2024 US$1995: 8.1k constant 2024 US$1996: 6.6k constant 2024 US$1997: 6.2k constant 2024 US$1998: 7.2k constant 2024 US$1999: 9.7k constant 2024 US$2000: 10.0k constant 2024 US$2001: 11.4k constant 2024 US$2002: 12.5k constant 2024 US$2003: 15.3k constant 2024 US$2004: 14.3k constant 2024 US$2005: 14.6k constant 2024 US$2006: 16.4k constant 2024 US$2007: 19.2k constant 2024 US$2008: 18.7k constant 2024 US$2009: 17.2k constant 2024 US$2010: 16.2k constant 2024 US$2011: 18.6k constant 2024 US$2012: 18.6k constant 2024 US$2013: 20.1k constant 2024 US$2014: 18.8k constant 2024 US$2015: 19.0k constant 2024 US$2016: 30.8k constant 2024 US$2017: 32.2k constant 2024 US$2018: 33.4k constant 2024 US$2019: 76.6k constant 2024 US$2020: 38.3k constant 2024 US$

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2024 US$.

Analysis

In 2020, military spending per armed forces personnel in Bulgaria stood at 38,339 constant 2024 US$.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 49.9% on the previous year and up 136.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Bulgaria peaked at 76,559 constant 2024 US$ in 2019 and was at its lowest, 6,240 constant 2024 US$, in 1997.

Bulgaria ranks 63rd of 160 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 34,939 constant 2024 US$ 34,939 constant 2024 US$ 34,939 constant 2024 US$ 1
1990s 14,873 constant 2024 US$ 6,240 constant 2024 US$ 32,817 constant 2024 US$ 10
2000s 14,953 constant 2024 US$ 10,043 constant 2024 US$ 19,176 constant 2024 US$ 10
2010s 28,422 constant 2024 US$ 16,186 constant 2024 US$ 76,559 constant 2024 US$ 10
2020s 38,339 constant 2024 US$ 38,339 constant 2024 US$ 38,339 constant 2024 US$ 1

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 60 South Africa 40,436 constant 2024 US$ compare
  2. 61 Gabon 39,462 constant 2024 US$ compare
  3. 62 Trinidad and Tobago 38,762 constant 2024 US$ compare
  4. 64 Algeria 37,491 constant 2024 US$ compare
  5. 65 Mozambique 37,287 constant 2024 US$ compare
  6. 66 Azerbaijan 36,845 constant 2024 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 160 places →

More reference data data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Bulgaria?
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Bulgaria was 38,339 constant 2024 US$ in 2020, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 76,559 constant 2024 US$ in 2019.
What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 6,240 constant 2024 US$ in 1997.
How does Bulgaria rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
Bulgaria ranks 63rd out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is up 136.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending per armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Military spending per armed forces personnel
Unit
constant 2024 US$
Source
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
160 places, 4,610 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

Total military expenditure divided by armed forces personnel. This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.