Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — Bulgaria

Population in cities over 1 million in Bulgaria in 2025 — 1,286,460 people. Ranked 115 in the world out of 121. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 81.7%.

2025 1.29M people −0.08% vs 2024
World rank 115of 121
Period maximum 1.29M people2023
Period minimum 708,061 people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — Bulgaria, 1960–2025600,000800,0001M1.2M1.4M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 708,061 people1962: 745,562 people1964: 785,106 people1966: 823,420 people1968: 855,339 people1970: 888,449 people1972: 922,889 people1974: 958,614 people1976: 995,774 people1978: 1,034,320 people1980: 1,074,414 people1982: 1,116,004 people1984: 1,159,265 people1986: 1,192,558 people1988: 1,191,649 people1990: 1,190,742 people1992: 1,189,835 people1994: 1,176,648 people1996: 1,160,287 people1998: 1,144,176 people2000: 1,128,266 people2002: 1,132,680 people2004: 1,157,368 people2006: 1,177,565 people2008: 1,195,578 people2010: 1,215,983 people2012: 1,236,765 people2014: 1,250,228 people2016: 1,261,286 people2018: 1,272,418 people2020: 1,280,968 people2022: 1,286,789 people2024: 1,287,540 people2025: 1,286,460 people
Change over the period: +578,399 (+81.69%) Average annual rate: 0.92 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Bulgaria

Bulgaria 1.29M people
World computed 2.01B people
Europe & Central Asia computed 186M people
Eastern Europe computed 49.81M people
Upper-middle-income countries computed 837M people
Population in cities over 1 million — Bulgaria, by year Bulgaria All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 1.29M −1,080 −0.08%
2024 1.29M −574 −0.04%
2023 1.29M +1,325 +0.1%
2022 1.29M +2,478 +0.19%
2021 1.28M +3,343 +0.26%
2020 1.28M +4,031 +0.32%
2019 1.28M +4,519 +0.36%
2018 1.27M +5,578 +0.44%
2017 1.27M +5,554 +0.44%
2016 1.26M +5,545 +0.44%
2015 1.26M +5,513 +0.44%
2014 1.25M +5,488 +0.44%
2013 1.24M +7,975 +0.64%
2012 1.24M +10,442 +0.85%
2011 1.23M +10,340 +0.85%
2010 1.22M +10,253 +0.85%
2009 1.21M +10,152 +0.85%
2008 1.2M +10,094 +0.85%
2007 1.19M +7,919 +0.67%
2006 1.18M +8,711 +0.75%
2005 1.17M +11,486 +0.99%
2004 1.16M +11,405 +1%
2003 1.15M +13,283 +1.17%
2002 1.13M +12,269 +1.1%
2001 1.12M −7,855 −0.7%
2000 1.13M −7,933 −0.7%
1999 1.14M −7,977 −0.7%
1998 1.14M −8,033 −0.7%
1997 1.15M −8,078 −0.7%
1996 1.16M −8,158 −0.7%
1995 1.17M −8,203 −0.7%
1994 1.18M −8,261 −0.7%
1993 1.18M −4,926 −0.41%
1992 1.19M −454 −0.04%
1991 1.19M −453 −0.04%
1990 1.19M −454 −0.04%
1989 1.19M −453 −0.04%
1988 1.19M −455 −0.04%
1987 1.19M −454 −0.04%
1986 1.19M +11,084 +0.94%
1985 1.18M +22,209 +1.92%
1984 1.16M +21,851 +1.92%
1983 1.14M +21,410 +1.92%
1982 1.12M +21,007 +1.92%
1981 1.09M +20,583 +1.92%
1980 1.07M +20,252 +1.92%
1979 1.05M +19,842 +1.92%
1978 1.03M +19,470 +1.92%
1977 1.01M +19,076 +1.92%
1976 995,774 +18,770 +1.92%
1975 977,004 +18,390 +1.92%
1974 958,614 +18,044 +1.92%
1973 940,570 +17,681 +1.92%
1972 922,889 +17,395 +1.92%
1971 905,494 +17,045 +1.92%
1970 888,449 +16,723 +1.92%
1969 871,726 +16,387 +1.92%
1968 855,339 +16,122 +1.92%
1967 839,217 +15,797 +1.92%
1966 823,420 +17,805 +2.21%
1965 805,615 +20,509 +2.61%
1964 785,106 +20,041 +2.62%
1963 765,065 +19,503 +2.62%
1962 745,562 +19,005 +2.62%
1961 726,557 +18,496 +2.61%
1960 708,061

Eastern Europe, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The population of urban agglomerations with more than one million residents. The unit of count is the agglomeration, not the city within its administrative boundaries, and that is essential: along administrative lines many of the largest concentrations of people break up into dozens of municipalities. The indicator measures not urbanization as such but its concentration in large centers — a country can be highly urbanized without a single million-plus city.

Important: The table covers about 120 territories — the rest have no agglomerations of this size, and that is a zero, not a gap. Aggregates for groups of countries are therefore calculated at a lowered coverage threshold.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.