Duration of compulsory education (years) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Duration of compulsory education (years) was 12 years in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
12 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
33rd
of 206 countries
All-time high
12 years
in 2021
All-time low
9 years
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Duration of compulsory education in Bulgaria, 1998–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for duration of compulsory education in Bulgaria is 12 years, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
That represents a change of up 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, duration of compulsory education in Bulgaria peaked at 12 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 9 years, in 1998.
Bulgaria ranks 33rd of 206 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Duration of compulsory education (years) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 9 years | — |
| 1999 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 9 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 10 years | +11.1% |
| 2012 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 11 years | +10.0% |
| 2018 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 12 years | +9.1% |
| 2022 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 12 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 12 years | +0.0% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 12 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 11 years, 1.1× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 12 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10 years, 1.2× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9 years | 9 years | 9 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 9 years | 9 years | 9 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.2 years | 9 years | 11 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.83 years | 11 years | 12 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 33 Anguilla 12 years compare
- 33 United Arab Emirates 12 years compare
- 33 Armenia 12 years compare
- 33 Bahamas 12 years compare
- 33 Chile 12 years compare
- 33 Cook Islands 12 years compare
- 33 Colombia 12 years compare
- 33 Cayman Islands 12 years compare
- 33 Dominica 12 years compare
- 33 Egypt 12 years compare
- 33 Finland 12 years compare
- 33 Grenada 12 years compare
- 33 Honduras 12 years compare
- 33 Italy 12 years compare
- 33 Kenya 12 years compare
- 33 Saint Kitts and Nevis 12 years compare
- 33 Luxembourg 12 years compare
- 33 Maldives 12 years compare
- 33 Mongolia 12 years compare
- 33 Montserrat 12 years compare
- 33 Mauritius 12 years compare
- 33 Pakistan 12 years compare
- 33 Palau 12 years compare
- 33 North Korea 12 years compare
- 33 Portugal 12 years compare
- 33 Qatar 12 years compare
- 33 Turkmenistan 12 years compare
- 33 Turkey 12 years compare
- 33 United States 12 years compare
- 33 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 12 years compare
- 33 British Virgin Islands 12 years compare
More education data for Bulgaria
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 94.2 (2024)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 94.1 (2024)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 43,834 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1,173 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 111,576 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 105,281 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 485,226 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 234,521 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.7644 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is duration of compulsory education in Bulgaria?
- Duration of compulsory education in Bulgaria was 12 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest duration of compulsory education recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 12 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest duration of compulsory education recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 9 years in 1998.
- How does Bulgaria rank for duration of compulsory education?
- Bulgaria ranks 33rd out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is duration of compulsory education rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Duration of compulsory education (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release