Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age was 44.3% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
44.3%
World rank
41st
of 53 countries
All-time high
56.4%
in 2012
All-time low
44.3%
in 2022
Years of data
7
2000–2022

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Bulgaria, 2000–2022

02040602000201120222000: 54.8 %2006: 45 %2009: 54.5 %2012: 56.4 %2015: 54.8 %2018: 49.6 %2022: 44.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Bulgaria recorded 44.3% for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.

The figure is down 21.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Bulgaria peaked at 56.4% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 44.3%, in 2022.

Bulgaria ranks 41st of 53 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Bulgaria, 2000 to 2022.
Year % Change
2000 54.8%
2006 45.0% -18.0%
2009 54.5% +21.2%
2012 56.4% +3.5%
2015 54.8% -3.0%
2018 49.6% -9.4%
2022 44.3% -10.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 51.5% 45.0% 54.8% 3
2010s 53.6% 49.6% 56.4% 3
2020s 44.3% 44.3% 44.3% 1

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 38 Qatar 52.4% compare
  2. 39 Mexico 46.7% compare
  3. 40 Montenegro 46.1% compare
  4. 42 Brazil 43.5% compare
  5. 43 Uruguay 41.2% compare
  6. 44 Malaysia 41.1% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More reference data data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Bulgaria?
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Bulgaria was 44.3% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 56.4% in 2012.
What is the lowest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 44.3% in 2022.
How does Bulgaria rank for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age?
Bulgaria ranks 41st out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
53 places, 379 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Share of children who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data accounts for school completion rates to estimate skills for all children, not just those in school.