Prison capacity and number of persons held in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Prison capacity and number of persons held was 8,040 Number in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prison capacity and number of persons held in Bulgaria, 2008–2024
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Number.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prison capacity and number of persons held in Bulgaria is 8,040 Number, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prison capacity and number of persons held in Bulgaria peaked at 9,885 Number in 2011 and was at its lowest, 7,408 Number, in 2015.
That places Bulgaria 21st out of 46 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.
Prison capacity and number of persons held in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 9,408 Number | — |
| 2009 | 9,006 Number | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 9,379 Number | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 9,885 Number | +5.4% |
| 2012 | 9,493 Number | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 8,834 Number | -6.9% |
| 2014 | 7,870 Number | -10.9% |
| 2015 | 7,408 Number | -5.9% |
| 2016 | 8,491 Number | +14.6% |
| 2017 | 8,491 Number | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 8,241 Number | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 8,105 Number | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 8,161 Number | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 8,105 Number | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 8,161 Number | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 8,161 Number | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 8,040 Number | -1.5% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 8,040 Number is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7,404 Number, 1.1× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 8,040 Number is above the median for high income countries, which is 8,040 Number, 1.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9,207 Number | 9,006 Number | 9,408 Number | 2 |
| 2010s | 8,620 Number | 7,408 Number | 9,885 Number | 10 |
| 2020s | 8,126 Number | 8,040 Number | 8,161 Number | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More urban development data for Bulgaria
- Population in the largest city 27.0% (2025)
- Population density 59.34 people per sq. km of land area (2024)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 19.68 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.29 million (2025)
- 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, 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prison capacity and number of persons held in Bulgaria?
- Prison capacity and number of persons held in Bulgaria was 8,040 Number in 2024, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest prison capacity and number of persons held recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 9,885 Number in 2011.
- What is the lowest prison capacity and number of persons held recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 7,408 Number in 2015.
- How does Bulgaria rank for prison capacity and number of persons held?
- Bulgaria ranks 21st out of 46 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prison capacity and number of persons held rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Prison capacity and number of persons held. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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