Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) was 111,893 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
111,893
Change on year
down 9.6%
World rank
94th
of 195 countries
All-time high
161,049
in 1997
All-time low
50,445
in 1971
Years of data
54
1971–2024
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Bulgaria, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Bulgaria stood at 111,893.
That represents a change of down 9.6% on the previous year and down 27.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Bulgaria peaked at 161,049 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 50,445, in 1971.
That places Bulgaria 94th out of 195 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 50,445 | — |
| 1972 | 57,021 | +13.0% |
| 1973 | 63,173 | +10.8% |
| 1974 | 67,308 | +6.5% |
| 1975 | 72,386 | +7.5% |
| 1976 | 73,806 | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 75,352 | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 89,392 | +18.6% |
| 1979 | 67,881 | -24.1% |
| 1980 | 62,053 | -8.6% |
| 1981 | 56,946 | -8.2% |
| 1982 | 52,672 | -7.5% |
| 1983 | 50,775 | -3.6% |
| 1984 | 52,779 | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 56,084 | +6.3% |
| 1986 | 62,035 | +10.6% |
| 1987 | 69,498 | +12.0% |
| 1988 | 75,565 | +8.7% |
| 1989 | 81,341 | +7.6% |
| 1990 | 82,864 | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 96,807 | +16.8% |
| 1992 | 99,125 | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 111,759 | +12.7% |
| 1994 | 121,250 | +8.5% |
| 1995 | 134,958 | +11.3% |
| 1996 | 155,226 | +15.0% |
| 1997 | 161,049 | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 158,703 | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 160,614 | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 149,671 | -6.8% |
| 2001 | 139,081 | -7.1% |
| 2002 | 123,261 | -11.4% |
| 2003 | 121,709 | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 119,890 | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 123,940 | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 130,156 | +5.0% |
| 2007 | 138,954 | +6.8% |
| 2008 | 146,324 | +5.3% |
| 2009 | 152,480 | +4.2% |
| 2010 | 159,377 | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 157,215 | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 155,713 | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 154,873 | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 153,742 | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 152,201 | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 143,799 | -5.5% |
| 2017 | 134,303 | -6.6% |
| 2018 | 126,871 | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 123,952 | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 122,373 | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 123,328 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 125,714 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 123,756 | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 111,893 | -9.6% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 111,893 is above the median for high income countries, which is 97,133, 1.2× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 111,893 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 157,648, 71% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 68,529 | 50,445 | 89,392 | 9 |
| 1980s | 61,975 | 50,775 | 81,341 | 10 |
| 1990s | 128,236 | 82,864 | 161,049 | 10 |
| 2000s | 134,547 | 119,890 | 152,480 | 10 |
| 2010s | 146,205 | 123,952 | 159,377 | 10 |
| 2020s | 121,413 | 111,893 | 125,714 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More education data for Bulgaria
- 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)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0364 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Bulgaria?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Bulgaria was 111,893 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 161,049 in 1997.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 50,445 in 1971.
- How does Bulgaria rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female?
- Bulgaria ranks 94th out of 195 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.2%. 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 Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release