Culture
National symbols include lion.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Bulgaria
EuropeGlobal Leader
Bulgaria ranks #6 globally in hospital beds. Think you know what else Bulgaria excels at?
Bulgaria ranks #6 globally in hospital beds. At 7.8%, it outperforms most of the world. Think you know what else Bulgaria excels at?
43.0, 25.0 - Europe
Area
111K km²
Pop.
6.74M
Stats
131
Reality brief
Bulgaria is a country in Europe with a population of 6.74M and an area of 110,879 km². Life expectancy is 75.7 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
University Enrollment Rate
79.85%#28globally
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Human Development Index
0.84#55globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$41,519.54#61globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
GDP Per Capita
$34,083.23#64globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
CO2 Per Capita
4.7 t/person/yr#75globally
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes per person, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Life Expectancy
75.7 years#96globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Bulgaria
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Identity
Formal name: Republic of Bulgaria.
CIA 2026
Geography
Size snapshot: almost identical in size to Virginia.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Bulgaria
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Sofia
Sofia-Capital, Bulgaria
Famous100/100
Open city guide
Burgas
Bulgaria
Notable59/100
Open city guide
Varna
Bulgaria
Notable58/100
Open city guide
Plovdiv
Bulgaria
Notable57/100
Open city guide
Ruse
Bulgaria
Notable56/100
Open city guide
Dobrich
Bulgaria
Notable54/100
Open city guide
Haskovo
Bulgaria
Notable53/100
Open city guide
Shumen
Bulgaria
Notable52/100
Open city guide
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Spirits Consumption
4.8 L/person/yr#5globallyTop stat
Liters of spirits consumed per person per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Smoking Rate
39.5%#5globallyTop stat
The percentage of people aged 15 and older who use tobacco products.
Protected Land (%)
44.3%#6globallyTop stat
The percentage of land area designated as protected natural reserves or parks.
Nuclear Electricity Share
40.3%#7globally
Percent of electricity generated from nuclear from CIA World Factbook.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Ranks #6 globally in hospital beds (per 1,000)
#67.8 per 1kHospital Beds (per 1,000)
The number of hospital beds available per 1,000 people.
Ranks #11 globally in beer consumption
#114.4 L/person/yrBeer Consumption
Liters of beer consumed per person per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Ranks #14 globally in electricity access (%)
#14100%Electricity Access (%)
The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
Ranks #17 globally in elderly population (%)
#1722.03%Elderly Population (%)
Share of the population ages 65 and older, from World Bank Open Data.
Ranks #22 globally in median age
#2244.3 yearsMedian Age
The age that splits the population in half: half are younger, half are older. UN WPP estimate as of 1 July 2023.
Compared with the region
How Bulgaria Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Bulgaria
Europe avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $41,519.54
- Region avg
- $57,483.02
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Bulgaria$41,519.54
Europe$57,483.02
World$31,844.55
+30% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 75.7 years
- Region avg
- 80.0 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Bulgaria75.7 years
Europe80.0 years
World73.7 years
+3% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.84
- Region avg
- 0.89
- World avg
- 0.74
Bulgaria0.84
Europe0.89
World0.74
+14% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 82.44%
- Region avg
- 90.13%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Bulgaria82.44%
Europe90.13%
World70.29%
+17% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Bulgaria
Country briefing
The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state.
Read the full Factbook note
The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks overran the country. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878, and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, and the Schengen Area for air and sea travel in 2024.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
- Climate
- temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
- Terrain
- mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
- Natural Resources
- bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
- Natural Hazards
- earthquakes; landslides
- Size Comparison
- almost identical in size to Virginia; slightly larger than Tennessee
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Bulgarian (official) 77.3%, Turkish 7.9%, Romani 3.5%, other 1%, unspecified 10.4% (2021 est.)
- Religions
- Christian 64.7%, Muslim 9.8%, other 0.1%, none 4.7%, unspecified 20.7% (2021 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Bulgarian 78.5%, Turkish 7.8%, Roma 4.1%, other 1.2%, unspecified 9.4% (2021 est.)
- Major Cities
- 1.288 million SOFIA (capital) (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Sofia
- Capital Coordinates
- 42 41 N, 23 19 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Bulgaria
- Name Origin
- named after the Bulgar tribes who settled the lower Balkan region in the 7th century A.D.; the tribal name may come from the Turkic word bulga, or "mixed," referring to the blend of Turkic and Slavic ethnicities in the tribes
- Independence
- 3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)
- National Symbols
- lion
- National Anthem
- "Mila Rodino" (Dear Homeland)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 10 (7 cultural, 3 natural)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- upper-middle-income EU economy; currency pegged to the euro, with eurozone accession pending; declining energy prices helping lower inflation rate; EU structural funds contributing to investment recovery; skilled labor shortage driven by emigration and aging population
- Industries
- electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, automotive parts, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel; outsourcing centers
- Agricultural Products
- wheat, maize, sunflower seeds, barley, milk, rapeseed, grapes, potatoes, triticale, tomatoes (2023)
- Export Partners
- Germany 14%, Romania 11%, Italy 8%, Greece 6%, Turkey 5% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- refined petroleum, garments, refined copper, wheat, natural gas (2023)
- Import Partners
- Germany 12%, Turkey 8%, Romania 8%, Russia 7%, Italy 6% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- crude petroleum, copper ore, cars, packaged medicine, electricity (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense5 facts
- Military Forces
- Bulgarian Armed Forces (aka Bulgarian Army): Land Forces, Air Force, Navy Ministry of Interior: General Directorate National Police (GDNP), General Directorate Border Police (GDBP), Special Unit for Combating Terrorism (SOBT) (2025)
- Military Service
- 18 years of age for voluntary service for men and women (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 35.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 40.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 8.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 7.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 4.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 4 national terrestrial TV stations with 1 state-owned and 3 privately owned; a vast array of TV stations are available from cable and satellite TV providers; state-owned national radio broadcasts over 3 networks; large number of private radio stations, especially in urban areas
- Space Program
- has a long history of space-related activities going back to the 1960s; develops, produces, and operates satellites; researches, develops, and produces other space technologies, including those related to astrophysics, remote sensing, data exploitation, optics, and electronics; has specialized in producing scientific instruments for space research; has more than 20 research institutes; Cooperating State of the ESA since 2015; works with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of the ESA, EU, individual ESA and EU member states, India, Japan, Russia, and the US (2025)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #5
Smoking Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Doctors (per 1,000)
Suicide Rate
Health Spending (% GDP)
Life Expectancy
Obesity Rate
Child Mortality
Infant Mortality
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #5
Environment9 statsBest: #6
Protected Land (%)
Electricity Access (%)
Total CO2 Emissions
CO2 Per Capita
Forest Area
Forest Coverage (%)
Renewable Energy (%)
Irrigated Land
929 km²#95
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Demographics12 statsBest: #6
Death Rate
Elderly Population (%)
Median Age
Urban Population (%)
Teen Birth Rate
Dependency Ratio
Population
Land Area
Population Density
Fertility Rate
Youth Population (%)
Birth Rate
Energy2 statsBest: #7
Nuclear Electricity Share
40.3%#7
Electric Generating Capacity
12.94M kW#59
Society & Equality2 statsBest: #25
Education & Future6 statsBest: #28
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #45
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #51
Lowest Elevation
0 m#51
Highest Elevation
2.9K m#74
Land Border Length
1.8K km#97
Coastline Length
354 km#126
Wealth & Economy10 statsBest: #53
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
High-Tech Exports (%)
GDP Per Capita
GDP (Nominal)
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
GDP Growth Rate
Youth Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
Inflation Rate
Government Debt (% GDP)
Military & Defense2 statsBest: #54
Keep exploring
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Where Bulgaria leads
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Bulgaria
#28 in University Enrollment Rate
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Top 15% globally
79.85%
Frequently Asked Questions about Bulgaria
What is the population of Bulgaria?
Bulgaria has a population of 6.74M, ranking #108 globally by population.
What continent is Bulgaria in?
Bulgaria is located in Europe. It has an area of 110,879 km².
What is the life expectancy in Bulgaria?
Life expectancy in Bulgaria is 75.7 years, ranking #96 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Bulgaria?
Bulgaria's GDP per capita (PPP) is $41,519.54, ranking #61 globally.
What is Bulgaria known for in global statistics?
Bulgaria ranks particularly high in University Enrollment Rate (#28), Human Development Index (#55), GDP Per Capita (PPP) (#61).
What is Bulgaria's Human Development Index?
Bulgaria has an HDI of 0.845, ranking #55 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Bulgaria?
Bulgaria has a population density of 59.4 people per km², ranking #144 globally.