Map of Bulgaria | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.


top of page


Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey

Geographic coordinates: 43 00 N, 25 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 110,879 km²
Land: 108,489 km²
Water: 2,390 km²
Rank: 105
Comparative: almost identical in size to Virginia; slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries
Total: 1806 km
Border countries: (5) Greece 472 km; , Macedonia 162 km; , Romania 605 km; , Serbia 344 km; , Turkey 223 km

Coastline: 354 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm

Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Elevation
Mean elevation: 472 m
Lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
Highest point: Musala 2,925 m

Natural resources: bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 46.9% (2011 est.)
Forest: 36.7% (2011 est.)
Other: 16.4% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 1020 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: earthquakes; landslides

Geography
Note: strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia


top of page


Population
Distribution: a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger populations: 6,966,899 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 106
Growth rate: -0.65% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 227
Below poverty line: 23.4% (2016 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Bulgarian(s)
Adjective: Bulgarian

Ethnic groups: Bulgarian 76.9%, Turkish 8%, Romani 4.4%, other 0.7% (including Russian, Armenian, and Vlach), other (unknown) 10% (2011 est.)
Note:  Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 9-11% of Bulgaria's population

Languages: Bulgarian (official) 76.8%, Turkish 8.2%, Romani 3.8%, other 0.7%, unspecified 10.5% (2011 est.)

Religions: Eastern Orthodox 59.4%, Muslim 7.8%, other (including Catholic, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox, and Jewish) 1.7%, none 3.7%, unspecified 27.4% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.52% (male 520,190/female 491,506)
15-24 years: 9.4% (male 340,306/female 314,241)
25-54 years: 42.87% (male 1,538,593/female 1,448,080)
55-64 years: 13.15% (male 433,943/female 482,474)
65 years and over: 20.06% (male 562,513/female 835,053) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 56.6
Youth dependency ratio: 23
Elderly dependency ratio: 33.6
Potential support ratio: 3 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 43.7 years
Male: 41.9 years
Female: 45.6 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 20

Population growth rate: -0.65% (2020 est.)
Rank: 227

Birth rate: 8.3 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 218

Death rate: 14.6 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 3

Net migration rate: -0.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 113

Population distribution: a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger populations

Urbanization
Urban population: 75.7% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: -0.22% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 1.281 million SOFIA (capital) (2020)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 27.1 years (2017 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 8.1 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 9 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 148

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75 years
Male: 71.8 years
Female: 78.5 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 121

Total fertility rate: 1.49 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 203

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 2% of population
Total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 8.1% (2017)

Physicians density: 4.03 physicians/1000 population (2015)

Hospital bed density: 7.5 beds/1000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate note: <.1% (2019 est.)
People living with hivaids: 3,300 (2019 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 131
Deaths note: <100 (2019 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 25% (2016)
Rank: 53

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.9% (2014)
Rank: 112

Education expenditures: 4.1% of GDP (2017)
Rank: 92

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98.4%
Male: 98.7%
Female: 98.1% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 14 years (2018)

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
Conventional short form: Bulgaria
Local long form: Republika Bulgaria
Local short form: Bulgaria
Former: Kingdom of Bulgaria, Peoples Republic of Bulgaria
Etymology: named after the Bulgar tribes who settled the lower Balkan region in the 7th century A.D.

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Sofia
Geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October: etymology: named after the Saint Sofia Church in the city, parts of which date back to the 4th century A.D.

Administrative divisions: 28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Sofia-Grad (Sofia City), Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest drafted between late 1990 and early 1991, adopted 13 July 1991
Amendments: proposed by the National Assembly or by the president of the republic; passage requires three-fourths majority vote of National Assembly members in three ballots; signed by the National Assembly chairperson; note - under special circumstances, a Grand National Assembly is elected with the authority to write a new constitution and amend certain articles of the constitution, including those affecting basic civil rights and national sovereignty; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in each of several readings; amended several times, last in 2015

Legal system: civil law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Bulgaria
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Rumen RADEV (since 22 January 2017); Vice President Iliana IOTOVA (since 22 January 2017)
Head of government: Prime Minister Boyko BORISOV (since 4 May 2017); note - BORISOV served 2 previous terms as prime minister (27 July 2009-13 March 2013 and 7 November 2014-27 January 2017)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly
Electionsappointments: president and vice president elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 and 13 November 2016 (next to be held in fall 2021); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly
Election results: Rumen RADEV elected president in second round; percent of vote - Rumen RADEV (independent, supported by Bulgarian Socialist Party) 59.4%, Tsetska TSACHEVA (GERB) 36.2%, neither 4.5%; Boyko BORISOV (GERB) elected prime minister; National Assembly vote - 133 to 100

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie (240 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 26 March 2017 (next to be held in March 2021)
Election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - GERB 32.7%, BSP 27.2%, United Patriots 9.1%, DPS 9%, Volya 4.2%, other 17.8%; seats by party/coalition - GERB 95, BSP 80, United Patriots 27, DPS 26, Volya 12; composition - men 183, women 57, percent of women 23.8%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of a chairman and approximately 72 judges organized into penal, civil, and commercial colleges); Supreme Administrative Court (organized into 2 colleges with various panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 justices); note - Constitutional Court resides outside the judiciary
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Cassation and Supreme Administrative judges elected by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC (consists of 25 members with extensive legal experience) and appointed by the president; judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Constitutional Court justices elected by the National Assembly and appointed by the president and the SJC; justices appointed for 9-year terms with renewal of 4 justices every 3 years
Subordinate courts: appeals courts; regional and district courts; administrative courts; courts martial

Political parties and leaders: Alternative for Bulgarian Revival or ABV [Rumen PETKOV]Attack (Ataka) [Volen Nikolov SIDEROV]Bulgarian Agrarian People’s Union [Nikolay NENCHEV]Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Korneliya NINOVA]Bulgaria of the Citizens or DBG [Dimiter DELCHEV]]Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB [Boyko BORISSOV]Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Atanas ATANASOV]Democrats for Responsibility, Solidarity, and Tolerance or DOST [Lyutvi MESTAN]IMRO - Bulgarian National Movement or IMRO-BNM [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPS [Mustafa KARADAYI]National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria or NFSB [Valeri SIMEONOV]Reformist Bloc or RB (a four-party alliance including DBG and SDS)United Patriots (alliance of IMRO-BNM, NFSB, and Attack)Union of Democratic Forces or SDS [Bozhidar LUKARSKI]Yes! Bulgaria [Hristo IVANOV]Volya [Veselin MARESHKI]

International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Tihomir Anguelov STOYTCHEV (since 27 June 2016)
In the us chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 234-7,973
In the us consulate: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Herro MUSTAFA (since 18 October 2019)
From the us telephone: [359] (2) 937-5,100
From the us embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1408
From the us mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5,740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20,521-5,740
From the us FAX: [359] (2) 937-5,320

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the pan-Slavic white-blue-red colors were modified by substituting a green band (representing freedom) for the blue
Note: the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe, has been removed

National symbols: lion; national colors: white, green, red

National anthem
Name: Mila Rodino (Dear Homeland)
Lyricsmusic: Tsvetan Tsvetkov RADOSLAVOV
Note: adopted 1964; composed in 1885 by a student en route to fight in the Serbo-Bulgarian War

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 89

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2010 dollars
Rank: 116

Gross national saving:
Rank: 58

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 61.6% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 16% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 19.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.7% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 66.3% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -64.8% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 28% (2017 est.)
Services: 67.4% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets; livestock

Industries: electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, automotive parts, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel; outsourcing centers

Industrial production growth rate: 3.6% (2017 est.)
Rank: 80

Labor force: 3.113 million (2020 est.)
Note: number of employed persons
Rank: 102
By occupation agriculture: 6.8%
By occupation industry: 26.6%
By occupation services: 66.6% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 91

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 23.4% (2016 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.9%
Highest 10: 31.2% (2017)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 20.35 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 19.35 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 1.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 16

Taxes and other revenues: 35.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 58

Public debt:
Note: defined by the EU's Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities: currency and deposits, securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives, and loans; general government sector comprises the subsectors: central government, state government, local government, and social security funds
Rank: 181

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 148

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 39

Exports:
Rank: 64
Partners: Germany 13.5%, Italy 8.3%, Romania 8.2%, Turkey 7.7%, Greece 6.5%, Belgium 4.2%, France 4.1% (2017)
Commodities: clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels, agriculture, tobacco, IT components

Imports:
Rank: 63
Commodities: machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials
Partners: Germany 12.3%, Russia 10.3%, Italy 7.3%, Romania 7.1%, Turkey 6.2%, Spain 5.3%, Greece 4.4% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 51

Debt external:
Rank: 72

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 42.29 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 57
Consumption: 32.34 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 60
Exports: 9.187 billion kWh (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 23
Imports: 4.568 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 41
Installed generating capacity: 10.75 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 57
Generation sources fossil fuels: 39% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 169
Generation sources nuclear: 20% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 8
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 23% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 83
Generation sources other renewable sources: 19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 41

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 1000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 91
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 99
Crude oil imports: 133,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 39
Crude oil proven reserves: 15 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 84

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 144,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 60
Products consumption: 97,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 82
Products exports: 92,720 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 45
Products imports: 49,260 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 83

Natural gas
Production: 79.28 million m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 83
Consumption: 3.313 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 70
Exports: 31.15 million m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 52
Imports: 3.256 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 44
Proven reserves: 5.663 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 88

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 46.31 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 63

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 974,056
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13.89 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 75
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 8,149,389
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 116.21 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 97

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 4 national terrestrial TV stations with 1 state-owned and 3 privately owned; a vast array of TV stations are available from cable and satellite TV providers; state-owned national radio broadcasts over 3 networks; large number of private radio stations broadcasting, especially in urban areas

Internet
Country code: .bg
Users total: 4,571,851
Users percent of population: 64.78% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 87

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1,903,946
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2018 est.)
Rank: 55


top of page


Military expenditures:
Rank: 22

Military and security forces: Bulgarian Armed Forces: Land Forces (aka Army), Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air Forces (Voennovazdushni Sili, VVS), Special Forces; Ministry of Interior: Border Guards (2020)

Military service age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in January 2008; service obligation 6-9 months (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups: Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force (2020)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in a title='Appendix-T' href='../appendix/appendix-t.html'>Appendix-T/a>


top of page


National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 8 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 44
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,022,645 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1.38 million
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: LZ (2016)

Airports: 68 (2013)
Rank: 72
With paved runways total: 57 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 17 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 26 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 11 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 9 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: 2,765 km gas, 346 km oil, 378 km refined products (2017)

Railways
Total: 5,114 km (2014)
Standard gauge: 4,989 km
Note: 0.760-m gauge (2014)
Narrow gauge: 125 km
Rank: 37

Roadways
Total: 19,512 km (2011)
Paved: 19,235 km
Note: does not include Category IV local roads
Unpaved: 277 km (2011)
Rank: 117

Waterways: 470 km (2009)
Rank: 83

Merchant marine
Total: 83
By type: bulk carrier 5general cargo 16, oil tanker 8, other 54 (2019)
Rank: 98

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Burgas, Varna (Black Sea)


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 17,551 (Syria) (2019)
Stateless persons: 116 (2019)
Note: 58,294 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-November 2020); Bulgaria is predominantly a transit country

Illicit drugs: major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; vulnerable to money laundering because of corruption, organized crime; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions