Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling was 11.45 years in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
11.45 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
56th
of 192 countries
All-time high
11.45 years
in 2021
All-time low
6.81 years
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in Bulgaria, 1990–2023

02.557.51012.51990200620231990: 6.8 years1991: 7.1 years1992: 7.4 years1993: 7.7 years1994: 8 years1995: 8.3 years1996: 8.6 years1997: 8.9 years1998: 9.2 years1999: 9.4 years2000: 9.7 years2001: 10 years2002: 10.1 years2003: 10.2 years2004: 10.3 years2005: 10.3 years2006: 10.4 years2007: 10.5 years2008: 10.6 years2009: 10.6 years2010: 10.7 years2011: 10.8 years2012: 10.9 years2013: 11 years2014: 11.1 years2015: 11.2 years2016: 11.2 years2017: 11.2 years2018: 11.3 years2019: 11.4 years2020: 11.4 years2021: 11.5 years2022: 11.5 years2023: 11.5 years

Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.

Analysis

The most recent figure for average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in Bulgaria is 11.45 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in Bulgaria peaked at 11.45 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 6.81 years, in 1990.

That places Bulgaria 56th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 8.12 years 6.81 years 9.45 years 10
2000s 10.29 years 9.74 years 10.64 years 10
2010s 11.08 years 10.72 years 11.35 years 10
2020s 11.44 years 11.41 years 11.45 years 4

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 53 Saudi Arabia 11.61 years compare
  2. 54 Greece 11.55 years compare
  3. 55 Romania 11.55 years compare
  4. 57 San Marino 11.36 years compare
  5. 58 Armenia 11.35 years compare
  6. 59 Samoa 11.33 years compare

See the full ranking of 192 places →

More education data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in Bulgaria?
Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in Bulgaria was 11.45 years in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 11.45 years in 2021.
What is the lowest average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 6.81 years in 1990.
How does Bulgaria rank for average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling?
Bulgaria ranks 56th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
Is average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling
Unit
years
Source
UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
192 places, 6,079 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Average number of years (excluding years spent repeating individual grades) adults over 25 years participated in formal education.