Population density in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Population density was 59.38 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
59.38 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
144th
of 215 countries
All-time high
81.18 people per sq. km of land area
in 1988
All-time low
59.38 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Bulgaria, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, population density in Bulgaria stood at 59.38 people per sq. km of land area. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Bulgaria peaked at 81.18 people per sq. km of land area in 1988 and was at its lowest, 59.38 people per sq. km of land area, in 2023.
Bulgaria ranks 144th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 71.8 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 72.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 73.02 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 73.62 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 74.16 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 74.65 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 75.12 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 75.65 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 76.24 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 76.74 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 77.16 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 77.52 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 77.93 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 78.45 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 78.83 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 79.17 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 79.58 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 79.67 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 79.78 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 80.1 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 80.37 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 80.61 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 80.81 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 81 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 81 people per sq. km of land area | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 80.97 people per sq. km of land area | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 81.09 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 81.18 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 80.24 people per sq. km of land area | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 78.81 people per sq. km of land area | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 78.03 people per sq. km of land area | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 77.2 people per sq. km of land area | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 76.58 people per sq. km of land area | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 76.32 people per sq. km of land area | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 75.98 people per sq. km of land area | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 75.59 people per sq. km of land area | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 75.13 people per sq. km of land area | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 74.63 people per sq. km of land area | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 74.22 people per sq. km of land area | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 73.85 people per sq. km of land area | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 72.4 people per sq. km of land area | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 72.03 people per sq. km of land area | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 71.48 people per sq. km of land area | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 70.95 people per sq. km of land area | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 70.5 people per sq. km of land area | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 69.97 people per sq. km of land area | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 69.47 people per sq. km of land area | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 68.99 people per sq. km of land area | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 68.57 people per sq. km of land area | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 68.12 people per sq. km of land area | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 67.69 people per sq. km of land area | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 67.3 people per sq. km of land area | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 65.95 people per sq. km of land area | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 65.16 people per sq. km of land area | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 64.34 people per sq. km of land area | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 63.51 people per sq. km of land area | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 62.67 people per sq. km of land area | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 61.82 people per sq. km of land area | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 60.95 people per sq. km of land area | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 60.34 people per sq. km of land area | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 59.94 people per sq. km of land area | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 59.55 people per sq. km of land area | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 59.38 people per sq. km of land area | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 74.08 people per sq. km of land area | 71.8 people per sq. km of land area | 76.24 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 78.48 people per sq. km of land area | 76.74 people per sq. km of land area | 79.78 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 80.74 people per sq. km of land area | 80.1 people per sq. km of land area | 81.18 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 76.25 people per sq. km of land area | 74.22 people per sq. km of land area | 78.81 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.82 people per sq. km of land area | 68.57 people per sq. km of land area | 73.85 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.75 people per sq. km of land area | 60.95 people per sq. km of land area | 68.12 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.8 people per sq. km of land area | 59.38 people per sq. km of land area | 60.34 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 141 Bosnia and Herzegovina 62.21 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 142 Panama 60.11 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 143 Cameroon 60.02 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 145 Guinea 58.63 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 146 Liberia 57.03 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 147 Nicaragua 56.7 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Bulgaria
- Population in the largest city 27.0% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 19.68 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.2 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.29 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual -0.0839 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 11.87 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.29 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 1.15 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 173.14 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Bulgaria?
- Population density in Bulgaria was 59.38 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 81.18 people per sq. km of land area in 1988.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.38 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- How does Bulgaria rank for population density?
- Bulgaria ranks 144th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.