People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: People not using safely managed sanitation facilities was 1.64 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Bulgaria, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 1.64 million people for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 4.6% on the previous year and down 35.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Bulgaria peaked at 3.61 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.64 million people, in 2024.
Bulgaria ranks 77th of 150 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.61 million people | — |
| 2001 | 3.55 million people | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 3.48 million people | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 3.42 million people | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 3.35 million people | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 3.29 million people | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 3.22 million people | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 3.15 million people | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 3.09 million people | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 3.02 million people | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 2.93 million people | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 2.83 million people | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 2.73 million people | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 2.64 million people | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 2.54 million people | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 2.44 million people | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 2.33 million people | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 2.22 million people | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 2.14 million people | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 2.05 million people | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 1.97 million people | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 1.88 million people | -4.4% |
| 2022 | 1.80 million people | -4.5% |
| 2023 | 1.72 million people | -4.3% |
| 2024 | 1.64 million people | -4.6% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 1.64 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 481,577 people, 3.4× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 1.64 million people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 837,185 people, 2.0× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.32 million people | 3.02 million people | 3.61 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.49 million people | 2.05 million people | 2.93 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.80 million people | 1.64 million people | 1.97 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 74 Gambia 1.98 million people compare
- 75 Romania 1.94 million people compare
- 76 Guinea-Bissau 1.70 million people compare
- 78 North Macedonia 1.60 million people compare
- 79 United Kingdom 1.49 million people compare
- 80 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.47 million people compare
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 people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Bulgaria?
- People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Bulgaria was 1.64 million people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people not using safely managed sanitation facilities recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 3.61 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using safely managed sanitation facilities recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.64 million people in 2024.
- How does Bulgaria rank for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities?
- Bulgaria ranks 77th out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using safely managed sanitation facilities rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 35.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People not using safely managed sanitation facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
People not using safely managed sanitation services might practice open defecation, use unimproved sanitation facilities, or use improved facilities that do not safely manage human waste.