Fiatmap

MacroBulgaria

Unemployment rate in Bulgaria

How hard is it to have a job there?

Bulgaria's unemployment rate is 3.54 % — #38 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

3.54%

Checked 8 Sept 2026Period 2025

Source: World Bank open data (GDP growth, GDP/capita, unemployment, government debt)

Unemployment rate in Bulgaria over time

19.92 %11.73 %3.54 %19.92 % · 20012000: 16.22 %2001: 19.92 %2002: 18.11 %2003: 13.73 %2004: 12.04 %2005: 10.08 %2006: 8.95 %2007: 6.88 %2008: 5.61 %2009: 6.82 %2010: 10.28 %2011: 11.26 %2012: 12.27 %2013: 12.94 %2014: 11.42 %2015: 9.14 %2016: 7.58 %2017: 6.16 %2018: 5.21 %2019: 4.15 %2020: 5.04 %2021: 5.17 %2022: 4.15 %2023: 4.32 %2024: 4.20 %2025: 3.54 %2000201220253.54 %
26 official observations, 2000 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#38 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
69 %
86 of 124 countries
Latest move
▼ 0.66 pp
since 2024
Below its peak
16.38 pp
peak 19.92 % in 2001
Full series
▼ 12.68 pp
since 2000

In Europe: #8 of 36vs median 5.25 %: −1.72 pp (better)

Among 124 countries

6 of 124 countries between 0.78 % and 1.53 %6 of 124 countries between 1.53 % and 2.28 %12 of 124 countries between 2.28 % and 3.03 %16 of 124 countries between 3.03 % and 3.78 %7 of 124 countries between 3.78 % and 4.53 %15 of 124 countries between 4.53 % and 5.28 %14 of 124 countries between 5.28 % and 6.02 %7 of 124 countries between 6.02 % and 6.77 %6 of 124 countries between 6.77 % and 7.52 %2 of 124 countries between 7.52 % and 8.27 %10 of 124 countries between 8.27 % and 9.02 %3 of 124 countries between 9.02 % and 9.77 %3 of 124 countries between 9.77 % and 10.52 %2 of 124 countries between 10.52 % and 11.27 %3 of 124 countries between 11.27 % and 12.02 %1 of 124 countries between 12.02 % and 12.77 %1 of 124 countries between 12.77 % and 13.51 %2 of 124 countries between 13.51 % and 14.26 %1 of 124 countries between 14.26 % and 15.01 %2 of 124 countries between 15.01 % and 15.76 %1 of 124 countries between 16.51 % and 17.26 %4 of 124 countries between 18.01 % and 18.76 %median 5.23 %Bulgaria: ahead of 69 % of the 124 countries with a published unemploymentBulgaria 3.54 %0.78 %18.76 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 3.30 % and 8.30 %. Bulgaria is ahead of 69 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryUnemploymentvs Bulgaria
36 Israel3.49 %−0.05 pp
37 Kyrgyzstan3.53 %−0.01 pp
38 Bulgaria3.54 %—
39 Germany3.71 %+0.17 pp
40 Malaysia3.76 %+0.23 pp

Unemployment, share of the labour force (World Bank / ILO estimate).

How to read this figure

Share of the labour force without work but actively seeking it (World Bank / ILO harmonised estimate). People outside the labour force — students, carers, the discouraged — are not counted.

Next, about Bulgaria

Average monthly salaryGDP growthGDP per capita
Unemployment rate, all countries ranked →Compare Bulgaria with another country →Everything about Bulgaria →
Did this answer your question?