Bulgaria

• temperate;
• cold, damp winters;
• hot, dry summers

noun:

Bulgarian(s)

adjective:

Bulgarian

total:

45.5 years (2025 est.)

male:

43.3 years

female:

47 years

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.67 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

7.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

8.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

6.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

76.1 years (2024 est.)

male:

72.9 years

female:

79.4 years

total:

11.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

4.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

1.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

4.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

33.1% (2025 est.)

male:

36.2% (2025 est.)

female:

30.3% (2025 est.)

• air pollution from industrial emissions;
• rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents;
• deforestation;
• forest damage from air pollution and acid rain;
• soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes

• temperate;
• cold, damp winters;
• hot, dry summers

urban population:

76.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

-0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

2.859 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

29.8% (2022 est.)

municipal:

838 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial:

3.879 billion cubic meters (2022)

agricultural:

726.434 million cubic meters (2022)

conventional long form:

Republic of Bulgaria

conventional short form:

Bulgaria

local long form:

Republika Bulgaria

local short form:

Bulgaria

former:

Kingdom of Bulgaria, People's Republic of Bulgaria

etymology:

• 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

name:

Sofia

geographic coordinates:

42 41 N, 23 19 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology:

named after the Church of Saint Sofia in the city, parts of which may date to the 4th century

• 28 provinces ( oblasti , singular - oblast );
• Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Sofia-Grad (Sofia City), Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

history:

several previous; latest drafted between late 1990 and early 1991, adopted 13 July 1991

amendment process:

• proposed by the National Assembly or by the president of the republic;
• passage requires three-fourths majority vote of National Assembly members in three ballots;
• signed by the National Assembly chairperson;
• note - under special circumstances, a "Grand National Assembly" is elected with the authority to write a new constitution and amend certain articles of the constitution, including those affecting basic civil rights and national sovereignty;
• passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in each of several readings

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Bulgaria

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Rumen RADEV (since 22 January 2017)

head of government:

Prime Minister Rosen ZHELYAZKOV (since 16 January 2025)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly

election/appointment process:

• president and vice president elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) elected by the National Assembly;
• deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly

most recent election date:

14 and 21 November 2021

election results:

• 2021 : Rumen RADEV reelected president in second round;
• percent of vote in the first round - Rumen RADEV (independent) 49.4%, Anastas GERDZHIKOV (independent) 22.8%, Mustafa KARADAYI (DPS) 11.6%, Kostadin KOSTADINOV (Revival) 3.9%, Lozan PANOV (independent) 3.7%, other 8.6%;
• percent of vote in the second round - Rumen RADEV 66.7%, Anastas GERDZHIKOV 31.8%, neither 1.5%

;

• 2016: Rumen RADEV elected president in second round;
• percent of vote - Rumen RADEV (independent, supported by Bulgarian Socialist Party) 59.4%, Tsetska TSACHEVA (GERB) 36.2%, neither 4.5%

expected date of next election:

fall 2026

legislature name:

National Assembly (Narodno sabranie)

legislative structure:

unicameral

number of seats:

240 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

proportional representation

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

10/27/2024

parties elected and seats per party:

• Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria Party (GERB) - Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) (66);
• We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (36);
• Revival (Vuzrazhdane) (33);
• Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) - New Beginning (29);
• Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) - United Left (19);
• Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (APS) (19);
• There is Such a People (PP-ITN) (17);
• Other (21)

percentage of women in chamber:

25%

expected date of next election:

October 2028

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court of Cassation consists of a chairman and approximately 72 judges organized into penal, civil, and commercial colleges;
• Supreme Administrative Court is organized into 2 colleges with various panels of 5 judges each;
• Constitutional Court consists of 12 justices) and resides outside the judiciary

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court of Cassation and Supreme Administrative judges elected by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC (consists of 25 members with extensive legal experience) and appointed by the president;
• judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 65;
• Constitutional Court justices elected by the National Assembly and appointed by the president and the SJC;
• justices appointed for 9-year terms with renewal of 4 justices every 3 years

subordinate courts:

• appeals courts;
• regional and district courts;
• administrative courts;
• courts martial

• BSP for Bulgaria (electoral alliance of BSP, PKT, Ecoglasnost)
• Bulgarian Rise or BV
• Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP
• Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB (alliance with SDS)
• Democratic Bulgaria or DB (electoral alliance of Yes! Bulgaria, DSB, and The Greens)
• Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB
• Ecoglasnost
• Green Movement or The Greens
• Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPS
• Political Club Thrace or PKT
• Revival
• Stand Up.BG or IS.BG
• There is Such a People or ITN
• Union of Democratic Forces or SDS (alliance with GERB)
• Yes! Bulgaria
• We Continue the Change or PP
• We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria or PP-DB (electoral alliance of PP, DB, Yes! Bulgaria)

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Stefka YOVCHEVA (since 7 May 2025)

chancery:

1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 387 5770

FAX:

[1] (202) 234-7973

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.bulgaria-embassy.org/en/homepage/

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires H. Martin McDOWELL (since May 2025)

embassy:

16, Kozyak Street, Sofia 1408

mailing address:

5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740

telephone:

[359] (2) 937-5100

FAX:

[359] (2) 937-5209

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://bg.usembassy.gov/

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

description:

three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red

meaning:

• white stands for peace, love, and freedom;
• green for the country's agricultural wealth;
• red for the independence struggle and military courage

history:

• originally adopted in 1879 as a modified version of the Russian tricolor flag, using green instead of blue;
• the communist coat of arms was added to the flag in various forms between 1948 and 1990, when it was removed after the communist government collapsed

• Bulgaria’s coat of arms in the national colors of white, green, and red was adopted in 1997;
• the three lions are a national symbol for strength, courage, and leadership that was used during the country’s liberation movement in the 1870s and the kingdom period in the early 20th century;
• above the shield is the crown of Bulgaria (originally the crown of the medieval Bulgarian tsars) with a gold cross on top;
• a white scroll over the oak branches bears the Bulgarian national motto, “United we stand strong”

title:

“Mila Rodino” (Dear Homeland)

lyrics/music:

Tsvetan RADOSLAVOV

history:

adopted 1964; composed in 1885 by a student en route to fight in the Serbo-Bulgarian War

total World Heritage Sites:

10 (7 cultural, 3 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Boyana Church (c);
• Madara Rider (c);
• Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (c);
• Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo (c);
• Rila Monastery (c);
• Ancient City of Nessebar (c);
• Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari (c);
• Srebarna Nature Reserve (n);
• Pirin National Park (n);
• Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians (n)

• 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

agriculture:

2.1% (2024 est.)

industry:

22.5% (2024 est.)

services:

62.6% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

• electricity, gas, water;
• food, beverages, tobacco;
• machinery and equipment, automotive parts, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel;
• outsourcing centers

total:

12.1% (2024 est.)

male:

12.4% (2024 est.)

female:

11.8% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

20.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

4.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.1% (2022 est.)

highest 10%:

30.1% (2022 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Number of operational nuclear reactors:

2 (2025)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors:

2.01GW (2025 est.)

Percent of total electricity production:

40.3% (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down:

4 (2025)

production:

20.97 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

20.557 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

1.091 million metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

753,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

2.174 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

101,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

15 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

10.444 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

2.607 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports:

2.75 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

imports:

2.544 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• 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

total ports:

2 (2024)

large:

1

medium:

0

small:

1

very small:

0

ports with oil terminals:

2

key ports:

Burgas, Varna

• 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)

refugees:

114,728 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

862 (2024 est.)