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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

2015 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryLabour force participation
41 Algeria 42.5%
24 Argentina 59.2%
29 Bangladesh 56.5%
11 Brazil 64.3%
32 Bulgaria 54.2%
8 Canada 65.9%
16 Chile 62.3%
2 China 69.3%
4 Colombia 67.0%
3 Congo - Brazzaville 68.1%
10 Congo - Kinshasa 65.3%
23 Czechia 59.4%
9 Ecuador 65.7%
40 Egypt 47.0%
26 Finland 58.8%
31 France 55.6%
37 Gabon 50.5%
21 Germany 60.2%
36 Greece 51.2%
12 Honduras 64.1%
20 Hong Kong SAR China 60.5%
33 India 53.0%
5 Indonesia 66.6%
38 Italy 48.6%
39 Lebanon 47.1%
1 Liberia 77.0%
25 Lithuania 59.2%
19 Mexico 60.6%
7 Netherlands 66.5%
6 Norway 66.6%
18 Philippines 61.4%
28 Poland 57.1%
35 Romania 51.2%
13 Russia 62.7%
22 Saudi Arabia 59.7%
30 Sierra Leone 56.2%
14 South Korea 62.6%
27 Spain 58.6%
34 Türkiye 51.3%
17 United Kingdom 62.2%
15 United States 62.3%
42 Yemen 32.1%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2015

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.