Labor force — all countries

Labor force — Bulgaria

Labor force in Bulgaria in 2025 — 3,090,210 people. Ranked 104 in the world out of 182. Since 1990, the indicator has fallen by 11.5%.

2025 3.09M people −0.32% vs 2024
World rank 104of 182
Period maximum 3.56M people2008
Period minimum 3.08M people2021

Trend over time

1990–2025 · people

Labor force — Bulgaria, 1990–20253M3.2M3.4M3.6M19901994199820022006201020142018202220251990: 3,491,632 people1991: 3,470,217 people1992: 3,450,609 people1993: 3,433,418 people1994: 3,432,780 people1995: 3,427,355 people1996: 3,413,411 people1997: 3,450,756 people1998: 3,432,014 people1999: 3,458,070 people2000: 3,441,466 people2001: 3,494,894 people2002: 3,404,016 people2003: 3,340,007 people2004: 3,379,275 people2005: 3,314,525 people2006: 3,421,452 people2007: 3,500,732 people2008: 3,562,863 people2009: 3,489,069 people2010: 3,424,396 people2011: 3,339,707 people2012: 3,358,087 people2013: 3,333,973 people2014: 3,290,417 people2015: 3,259,536 people2016: 3,159,813 people2017: 3,235,284 people2018: 3,181,267 people2019: 3,209,606 people2020: 3,132,138 people2021: 3,082,471 people2022: 3,134,677 people2023: 3,134,615 people2024: 3,100,224 people2025: 3,090,210 people
Change over the period: −401,422 (−11.5%) Average annual rate: -0.35 %

Comparison, 2025

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

Bulgaria 3.09M people
World 3.74B people
Europe & Central Asia 429M people
Eastern Europe computed 122M people
Upper-middle-income countries computed 1.38B people
Labor force — Bulgaria, by year Bulgaria All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 3.09M −10,014 −0.32%
2024 3.1M −34,391 −1.1%
2023 3.13M −62 −0%
2022 3.13M +52,206 +1.69%
2021 3.08M −49,667 −1.59%
2020 3.13M −77,468 −2.41%
2019 3.21M +28,339 +0.89%
2018 3.18M −54,017 −1.67%
2017 3.24M +75,471 +2.39%
2016 3.16M −99,723 −3.06%
2015 3.26M −30,881 −0.94%
2014 3.29M −43,556 −1.31%
2013 3.33M −24,114 −0.72%
2012 3.36M +18,380 +0.55%
2011 3.34M −84,689 −2.47%
2010 3.42M −64,673 −1.85%
2009 3.49M −73,794 −2.07%
2008 3.56M +62,131 +1.77%
2007 3.5M +79,280 +2.32%
2006 3.42M +106,927 +3.23%
2005 3.31M −64,750 −1.92%
2004 3.38M +39,268 +1.18%
2003 3.34M −64,009 −1.88%
2002 3.4M −90,878 −2.6%
2001 3.49M +53,428 +1.55%
2000 3.44M −16,604 −0.48%
1999 3.46M +26,056 +0.76%
1998 3.43M −18,742 −0.54%
1997 3.45M +37,345 +1.09%
1996 3.41M −13,944 −0.41%
1995 3.43M −5,425 −0.16%
1994 3.43M −638 −0.02%
1993 3.43M −17,191 −0.5%
1992 3.45M −19,608 −0.57%
1991 3.47M −21,415 −0.61%
1990 3.49M

Eastern Europe, 2025

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

About the indicator

The economically active population — everyone aged 15 and over who either works or actively looks for work. It covers the employed, the unemployed and first-time job seekers; it leaves out students, homemakers and other people who do not offer their labor on the market. The size of the labor force is the basic constraint on the growth potential of an economy.

Source: ILOSTAT (ILO), license CC BY 4.0.