Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 6.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
6.8%
Change on year
up 10.9%
World rank
87th
of 183 countries
All-time high
7.9%
in 2012
All-time low
0.6%
in 2005
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Bulgaria, 2001–2024

024682001201220242001: 2 %2002: 0.926 %2003: 0.8 %2004: 0.673 %2005: 0.607 %2006: 1.7 %2007: 1.9 %2008: 4.4 %2009: 4.9 %2010: 4.7 %2011: 6.3 %2012: 7.9 %2013: 2.7 %2014: 1.9 %2015: 1.5 %2016: 1.8 %2017: 3.2 %2018: 2.5 %2019: 2.9 %2020: 2.7 %2021: 3.9 %2022: 5.4 %2023: 6.1 %2024: 6.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Bulgaria stood at 6.8%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.9% on the previous year and up 249.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Bulgaria peaked at 7.9% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2005.

Bulgaria ranks 87th of 183 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 rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%) in Bulgaria, 2001 to 2024.
Year % Change
2001 2.0%
2002 0.9% -54.4%
2003 0.8% -13.7%
2004 0.7% -15.8%
2005 0.6% -9.8%
2006 1.7% +186.2%
2007 1.9% +9.1%
2008 4.4% +134.4%
2009 4.9% +10.5%
2010 4.7% -4.1%
2011 6.3% +33.7%
2012 7.9% +25.2%
2013 2.7% -66.0%
2014 1.9% -27.3%
2015 1.5% -22.7%
2016 1.8% +21.3%
2017 3.2% +76.7%
2018 2.5% -23.3%
2019 2.9% +16.2%
2020 2.7% -5.6%
2021 3.9% +42.9%
2022 5.4% +38.4%
2023 6.1% +14.3%
2024 6.8% +10.9%

Bulgaria compared with similar countries

  • Bulgaria's 6.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.8%, 3.8× the median. (69 countries reporting)
  • Bulgaria's 6.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.5%, 4.4× the median. (49 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.0% 0.6% 4.9% 9
2010s 3.5% 1.5% 7.9% 10
2020s 5.0% 2.7% 6.8% 5

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 84 Eswatini 7.3% compare
  2. 85 Belize 7.1% compare
  3. 86 Tonga 6.9% compare
  4. 88 Egypt 6.6% compare
  5. 89 Sri Lanka 6.5% compare
  6. 90 Qatar 6.5% compare

See the full ranking of 222 places →

More education data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Bulgaria?
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Bulgaria was 6.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 7.9% in 2012.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2005.
How does Bulgaria rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
Bulgaria ranks 87th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is up 249.5%. 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 rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-adolescents-of-lower-secondary-school-age-both-sexes-percent-2/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
222 places, 4,213 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release