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Economy & jobs Statistics · Country

Labour force participation in Bulgaria

1990 – 2025 · 36 data points 30 of 41 · Countries Updated Oct 22, 2026

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Labour force participation, 1990 – 2025 percent · Bulgaria · World
+1.9 pp since 2015
Bulgaria World

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Compared with Labour force participation · percent
Bulgaria
56.1%
World
61.0%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators

The series at a glance Bulgaria · 1990 – 2025
Latest value 56.1% · 2025
First value 50.3% · 1990
Highest 56.9% · 2023
Lowest 49.4% · 1996
Data points 36

By year

All years · 1990 – 2025

YearBulgariaChange World
2025 56.1% −0.2 pp 61.0%
2024 56.3% −0.6 pp 61.1%
2023 56.9% +0.2 pp 61.2%
2022 56.7% +1.3 pp 60.7%
2021 55.4% −0.5 pp 60.4%
2020 55.9% −0.8 pp 59.6%
2019 56.7% +1.3 pp 61.0%
2018 55.3% −0.1 pp 61.2%
2017 55.4% +2.1 pp 61.3%
2016 53.3% −0.9 pp 61.5%
2015 54.2% +0.2 pp 61.6%
2014 54.0% +0.0 pp 61.8%
2013 53.9% +0.8 pp 62.0%
2012 53.2% +0.6 pp 62.2%
2011 52.6% −1.0 pp 62.4%
2010 53.5% −0.6 pp 62.6%
2009 54.1% −0.8 pp 62.8%
2008 54.9% +1.3 pp 63.1%
2007 53.5% +1.5 pp 63.4%
2006 52.0% +1.9 pp 63.5%
2005 50.1% −0.8 pp 63.8%
2004 50.9% +0.7 pp 63.8%
2003 50.2% −0.8 pp 63.9%
2002 51.0% −0.5 pp 64.1%
2001 51.5% +1.5 pp 64.2%
2000 50.0% −0.2 pp 64.4%
1999 50.2% +0.4 pp 64.6%
1998 49.8% −0.2 pp 64.5%
1997 50.0% +0.6 pp 64.7%
1996 49.4% −0.2 pp 64.7%
1995 49.7% −0.1 pp 64.8%
1994 49.8% −0.1 pp 65.0%
1993 49.9% −0.2 pp 65.0%
1992 50.1% −0.1 pp 65.3%
1991 50.1% −0.1 pp 65.4%
1990 50.3% 65.5%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Ranking · Countries

2025 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryLabour force participation
40 Algeria 40.8%
16 Argentina 61.9%
25 Bangladesh 58.8%
13 Brazil 63.1%
30 Bulgaria 56.1%
8 Canada 64.5%
15 Chile 62.3%
7 China 64.6%
12 Colombia 63.4%
3 Congo - Brazzaville 67.8%
11 Congo - Kinshasa 64.3%
23 Czechia 60.3%
9 Ecuador 64.5%
39 Egypt 44.6%
24 Finland 59.7%
32 France 55.3%
37 Gabon 51.1%
22 Germany 60.6%
35 Greece 52.0%
28 Honduras 56.6%
29 Hong Kong SAR China 56.4%
31 India 55.7%
2 Indonesia 68.0%
38 Italy 49.3%
1 Liberia 76.6%
14 Lithuania 62.9%
18 Mexico 61.6%
4 Netherlands 67.2%
5 Norway 65.6%
20 Philippines 61.4%
26 Poland 58.3%
36 Romania 51.3%
21 Russia 61.1%
6 Saudi Arabia 65.1%
34 Sierra Leone 53.4%
10 South Korea 64.4%
27 Spain 57.4%
33 Türkiye 54.4%
19 United Kingdom 61.4%
17 United States 61.7%
41 Yemen 33.1%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2025

What it means

The share of adults who work or are looking for work.

How it is calculated

Employed plus unemployed people aged 15 and over (16 in the US) divided by the population of that age.