Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 94.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Bulgaria, 1820–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 94.1% for share of children in primary school age who are in school in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Bulgaria peaked at 100.0% in 1920 and was at its lowest, 18.7%, in 1820.
Bulgaria ranks 130th of 209 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 57 years of available data.
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 18.7% | — |
| 1825 | 20.0% | +6.8% |
| 1830 | 21.3% | +6.6% |
| 1835 | 22.7% | +6.6% |
| 1840 | 24.2% | +6.4% |
| 1845 | 25.7% | +6.3% |
| 1850 | 27.3% | +6.1% |
| 1855 | 28.9% | +6.0% |
| 1860 | 30.6% | +5.9% |
| 1865 | 32.4% | +5.7% |
| 1870 | 34.2% | +5.6% |
| 1875 | 36.1% | +5.4% |
| 1880 | 38.0% | +5.3% |
| 1885 | 39.9% | +5.1% |
| 1890 | 41.9% | +5.0% |
| 1895 | 60.6% | +44.6% |
| 1900 | 54.0% | -10.9% |
| 1905 | 94.7% | +75.4% |
| 1910 | 98.1% | +3.6% |
| 1915 | 89.5% | -8.8% |
| 1920 | 100.0% | +11.8% |
| 1925 | 99.8% | -0.2% |
| 1930 | 100.0% | +0.2% |
| 1935 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 93.0% | -7.0% |
| 1965 | 100.0% | +7.5% |
| 1970 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 96.0% | -4.0% |
| 1980 | 96.0% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 98.4% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 99.6% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 99.6% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 99.6% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 99.9% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 99.8% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 99.9% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 99.0% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 99.2% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 98.5% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 97.5% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 96.3% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 96.7% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 97.0% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 96.6% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 96.5% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 96.0% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 95.8% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 95.8% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 95.0% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 94.7% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 94.3% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 94.1% | -0.2% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 94.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 98.2%, 96% of the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 94.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 98.6%, 95% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Bulgaria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | +75.4% | 54.0% | 94.7% |
| 1895 | +44.6% | 41.9% | 60.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 19.4% | 18.7% | 20.0% | 2 |
| 1830s | 22.0% | 21.3% | 22.7% | 2 |
| 1840s | 25.0% | 24.2% | 25.7% | 2 |
| 1850s | 28.1% | 27.3% | 28.9% | 2 |
| 1860s | 31.5% | 30.6% | 32.4% | 2 |
| 1870s | 35.1% | 34.2% | 36.1% | 2 |
| 1880s | 39.0% | 38.0% | 39.9% | 2 |
| 1890s | 51.2% | 41.9% | 60.6% | 2 |
| 1900s | 74.3% | 54.0% | 94.7% | 2 |
| 1910s | 93.8% | 89.5% | 98.1% | 2 |
| 1920s | 99.9% | 99.8% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1930s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1940s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1950s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 96.5% | 93.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 98.0% | 96.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 96.0% | 96.0% | 96.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 99.5% | 98.4% | 99.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 97.0% | 95.8% | 99.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 94.8% | 94.1% | 95.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 127 Kenya 94.3% compare
- 128 Oman 94.2% compare
- 129 Bangladesh 94.1% compare
- 131 South Africa 93.9% compare
- 132 San Marino 93.9% compare
- 133 Georgia 93.8% compare
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 share of children in primary school age who are in school in Bulgaria?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Bulgaria was 94.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1920.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.7% in 1820.
- How does Bulgaria rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Bulgaria ranks 130th out of 209 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. 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 (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children in primary school age who are in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.