01
Physical geography
Mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast.
Local timeSofia ·
Europe / Southeast Europe · Card 008
Bulgaria
Bulgaria is a country in Southeast Europe. Its capital is Sofia.
Find Bulgaria
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Sofia
- Languages
- Bulgarian
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Population
- 6.4 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 110,879 km²42,810.60 square miles
- Independence
- 1908Autonomy began in 1878; full independence followed in 1908.
Bulgaria in context
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Sofia; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Bulgarian.
03
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · European Central Bank · euro changeover
History & independence
Bulgaria regained autonomous government after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 and declared full independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Communist rule ended in 1989. It joined the EU in 2007 and adopted the euro in 2026.
-
An autonomous Bulgarian principality is established
-
Full independence is declared
-
Bulgaria adopts the euro
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · European Central Bank · euro changeover
Economy
Main activities
Manufacturing, services, tourism and agriculture support the economy. Machinery, metals, chemicals and food products are important outputs, alongside information-technology services. EU trade and investment are significant.
Industry and production
electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, automotive parts, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel; outsourcing centers
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · European Central Bank · euro changeover
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people6.42025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 8,489,574 | 8.490 |
| 1980 | 8,861,535 | 8.862 |
| 1990 | 8,718,289 | 8.718 |
| 2000 | 8,170,172 | 8.170 |
| 2010 | 7,395,599 | 7.396 |
| 2020 | 6,550,696 | 6.551 |
| 2025 | 6,433,302 | 6.433 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars67.32025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 38,582,784,071 | 38.583 |
| 1991 | 35,324,330,741 | 35.324 |
| 1992 | 32,755,408,562 | 32.755 |
| 1993 | 32,270,558,200 | 32.271 |
| 1994 | 32,857,240,787 | 32.857 |
| 1995 | 33,810,861,561 | 33.811 |
| 1996 | 35,570,878,929 | 35.571 |
| 1997 | 30,549,915,209 | 30.550 |
| 1998 | 31,707,486,474 | 31.707 |
| 1999 | 29,045,298,089 | 29.045 |
| 2000 | 30,377,671,419 | 30.378 |
| 2001 | 31,539,223,117 | 31.539 |
| 2002 | 33,391,184,646 | 33.391 |
| 2003 | 35,139,932,016 | 35.140 |
| 2004 | 37,427,690,632 | 37.428 |
| 2005 | 40,068,719,167 | 40.069 |
| 2006 | 42,794,430,902 | 42.794 |
| 2007 | 45,642,137,145 | 45.642 |
| 2008 | 48,439,798,806 | 48.440 |
| 2009 | 46,818,449,430 | 46.818 |
| 2010 | 47,546,646,112 | 47.547 |
| 2011 | 48,540,454,690 | 48.540 |
| 2012 | 48,903,932,680 | 48.904 |
| 2013 | 48,638,504,923 | 48.639 |
| 2014 | 49,100,303,097 | 49.100 |
| 2015 | 50,768,512,173 | 50.769 |
| 2016 | 52,305,086,280 | 52.305 |
| 2017 | 53,741,345,964 | 53.741 |
| 2018 | 54,993,600,228 | 54.994 |
| 2019 | 57,079,683,269 | 57.080 |
| 2020 | 55,291,242,409 | 55.291 |
| 2021 | 59,619,536,578 | 59.620 |
| 2022 | 62,054,317,358 | 62.054 |
| 2023 | 63,097,767,380 | 63.098 |
| 2024 | 65,234,945,310 | 65.235 |
| 2025 | 67,254,858,232 | 67.255 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.845Very High human developmentRank 55 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.706
20000.733
20100.799
20200.826
20230.845
75.6 yearsLife expectancy at birth
11.5 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Parliamentary republic. National Assembly (Narodno sabranie) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature).
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · European Central Bank · euro changeover
Knowledge check
Three questions about Bulgaria.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Bulgaria adopted the euro in which year?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · European Central Bank · euro changeover
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.