Employment in Bulgaria is among the highest in the EU, but over 1 million people are unemployed

As of December 31, 2024, there were 3,765,000 people of working age, or 58.5% of the country's population. Men are 1,970,000, and women - 1,795,000. This was announced by the Deputy Chair of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) Svilen Kolev. By the end of 2024, there were 1,701,000 people over working age (26.4%). There were 971,000 people under working age, which is 15.1% of the population, Kolev also informed.

The population at the end of 2024 in Bulgaria was 6,437,360 people. Compared to 2023, the population decreased by 8,121 people or 0.13%. The total population decrease since 1985 is 2,512,500 people.

The economically inactive Bulgarians aged 15-64 in the second quarter of 2025 were 1,042,000 people, 456,100 were men and 585,900 were women. Unemployment in Bulgaria is one of the lowest in the EU. In August 2025, it was 3.6%, the National Statistical Institute reported.