Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary was 27,381 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
27,381
Change on year
up 5.5%
World rank
98th
of 181 countries
All-time high
27,381
in 2024
All-time low
1,807
in 2005
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Bulgaria, 2001–2024

010.0k20.0k30.0k2001201220242001: 11.9k2002: 3.9k2003: 3.4k2004: 2.9k2005: 1.8k2006: 4.4k2007: 4.3k2008: 9.2k2009: 12.0k2010: 10.8k2011: 15.4k2012: 21.5k2013: 14.7k2014: 12.1k2015: 10.6k2016: 12.2k2017: 15.5k2018: 15.5k2019: 16.5k2020: 16.0k2021: 20.2k2022: 23.6k2023: 26.0k2024: 27.4k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

Bulgaria recorded 27,381 for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in 2024. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.5% on the previous year and up 126.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Bulgaria peaked at 27,381 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1,807, in 2005.

Bulgaria ranks 98th of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, both sexes (number) in Bulgaria, 2001 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2001 11,893
2002 3,943 -66.8%
2003 3,382 -14.2%
2004 2,899 -14.3%
2005 1,807 -37.7%
2006 4,434 +145.4%
2007 4,257 -4.0%
2008 9,188 +115.8%
2009 11,957 +30.1%
2010 10,823 -9.5%
2011 15,354 +41.9%
2012 21,453 +39.7%
2013 14,651 -31.7%
2014 12,084 -17.5%
2015 10,581 -12.4%
2016 12,245 +15.7%
2017 15,468 +26.3%
2018 15,519 +0.3%
2019 16,519 +6.4%
2020 15,976 -3.3%
2021 20,176 +26.3%
2022 23,640 +17.2%
2023 25,956 +9.8%
2024 27,381 +5.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 5,973 1,807 11,957 9
2010s 14,470 10,581 21,453 10
2020s 22,626 15,976 27,381 5

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 95 Suriname 28,163 compare
  2. 96 Australia 27,640 compare
  3. 97 Saudi Arabia 27,470 compare
  4. 99 Germany 26,985 compare
  5. 100 Georgia 23,816 compare
  6. 101 Timor-Leste 22,487 compare

See the full ranking of 181 places →

More education data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Bulgaria?
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Bulgaria was 27,381 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 27,381 in 2024.
What is the lowest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 1,807 in 2005.
How does Bulgaria rank for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary?
Bulgaria ranks 98th out of 181 countries with data for 2024.
Is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is up 126.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-children-and-adolescents-of-primary-and-lower-secondary-school-age-both-2/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
181 places, 3,186 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release