Share of population with no formal education in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Share of population with no formal education was 1.8% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
1.8%
World rank
71st
of 111 countries
All-time high
73.5%
in 1870
All-time low
1.2%
in 2000
Years of data
31
1870–2020
Share of population with no formal education in Bulgaria, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population with no formal education in Bulgaria stood at 1.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in Bulgaria peaked at 73.5% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 2000.
That places Bulgaria 71st out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population with no formal education in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 73.5% | — |
| 1875 | 72.0% | -2.0% |
| 1880 | 70.5% | -2.1% |
| 1885 | 69.1% | -2.0% |
| 1890 | 67.6% | -2.2% |
| 1895 | 64.1% | -5.2% |
| 1900 | 58.0% | -9.5% |
| 1905 | 54.6% | -5.9% |
| 1910 | 48.1% | -11.9% |
| 1915 | 40.7% | -15.4% |
| 1920 | 33.6% | -17.4% |
| 1925 | 30.9% | -8.0% |
| 1930 | 28.0% | -9.4% |
| 1935 | 26.5% | -5.4% |
| 1940 | 22.7% | -14.3% |
| 1945 | 19.8% | -12.8% |
| 1950 | 14.3% | -27.8% |
| 1955 | 10.6% | -25.9% |
| 1960 | 8.3% | -21.7% |
| 1965 | 6.6% | -20.5% |
| 1970 | 4.7% | -28.8% |
| 1975 | 3.2% | -31.9% |
| 1980 | 2.9% | -9.4% |
| 1985 | 2.8% | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 2.5% | -10.7% |
| 1995 | 1.8% | -28.0% |
| 2000 | 1.2% | -33.3% |
| 2005 | 1.6% | +33.3% |
| 2010 | 2.0% | +25.0% |
| 2015 | 1.9% | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 1.8% | -5.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 72.8% | 72.0% | 73.5% | 2 |
| 1880s | 69.8% | 69.1% | 70.5% | 2 |
| 1890s | 65.8% | 64.1% | 67.6% | 2 |
| 1900s | 56.3% | 54.6% | 58.0% | 2 |
| 1910s | 44.4% | 40.7% | 48.1% | 2 |
| 1920s | 32.2% | 30.9% | 33.6% | 2 |
| 1930s | 27.2% | 26.5% | 28.0% | 2 |
| 1940s | 21.2% | 19.8% | 22.7% | 2 |
| 1950s | 12.4% | 10.6% | 14.3% | 2 |
| 1960s | 7.5% | 6.6% | 8.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 4.0% | 3.2% | 4.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 2.1% | 1.8% | 2.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 2.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 68 Austria 1.9% compare
- 68 South Africa 1.9% compare
- 68 Zimbabwe 1.9% compare
- 71 Costa Rica 1.8% compare
- 71 El Salvador 1.8% compare
- 71 Iceland 1.8% compare
- 71 Philippines 1.8% compare
More education data for Bulgaria
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 114,165 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.9399 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.0177 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 120,356 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.5985 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita 0.0187 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 485,226 (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.0829 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 22,710 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -2.08 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with no formal education in Bulgaria?
- Share of population with no formal education in Bulgaria was 1.8% in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population with no formal education recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 73.5% in 1870.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 2000.
- How does Bulgaria rank for share of population with no formal education?
- Bulgaria ranks 71st out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population with no formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.