Average years of schooling in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Average years of schooling was 11.41 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Average years of schooling in Bulgaria, 1870–2020
Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 11.41 years for average years of schooling in 2020. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling in Bulgaria peaked at 11.41 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.65 years, in 1870.
That places Bulgaria 46th out of 162 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Average years of schooling in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 1.65 years | — |
| 1880 | 1.91 years | +15.8% |
| 1890 | 2.22 years | +16.2% |
| 1900 | 2.72 years | +22.5% |
| 1913 | 3.04 years | +11.8% |
| 1925 | 4 years | +31.5% |
| 1929 | 4.16 years | +4.1% |
| 1933 | 4.72 years | +13.4% |
| 1938 | 5.05 years | +7.1% |
| 1950 | 5.77 years | +14.3% |
| 1955 | 6.61 years | +14.6% |
| 1960 | 7.35 years | +11.2% |
| 1965 | 7.65 years | +4.1% |
| 1970 | 8.06 years | +5.3% |
| 1975 | 8.58 years | +6.4% |
| 1980 | 8.99 years | +4.8% |
| 1985 | 9.24 years | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 9.6 years | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 10.11 years | +5.3% |
| 2000 | 10.62 years | +5.0% |
| 2005 | 10.95 years | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 11.28 years | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 10.8 years | -4.3% |
| 2020 | 11.41 years | +5.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 1.65 years | 1.65 years | 1.65 years | 1 |
| 1880s | 1.91 years | 1.91 years | 1.91 years | 1 |
| 1890s | 2.22 years | 2.22 years | 2.22 years | 1 |
| 1900s | 2.72 years | 2.72 years | 2.72 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 3.04 years | 3.04 years | 3.04 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 4.08 years | 4 years | 4.16 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 4.88 years | 4.72 years | 5.05 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 6.19 years | 5.77 years | 6.61 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 7.5 years | 7.35 years | 7.65 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 8.32 years | 8.06 years | 8.58 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 9.12 years | 8.99 years | 9.24 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 9.86 years | 9.6 years | 10.11 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 10.79 years | 10.62 years | 10.95 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 11.04 years | 10.8 years | 11.28 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 11.41 years | 11.41 years | 11.41 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 43 Trinidad and Tobago 11.61 years compare
- 44 France 11.61 years compare
- 45 Ireland 11.58 years compare
- 47 Greece 11.41 years compare
- 48 Kyrgyzstan 11.37 years compare
- 49 South Africa 11.37 years compare
More education data for Bulgaria
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling in Bulgaria?
- Average years of schooling in Bulgaria was 11.41 years in 2020, according to Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 11.41 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.65 years in 1870.
- How does Bulgaria rank for average years of schooling?
- Bulgaria ranks 46th out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is average years of schooling rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average number of years of total schooling (primary, secondary, and tertiary) for the population aged 15 and over.