Population of Bulgaria

As of May 2026, the population of Bulgaria is 6.5 million. The number of inhabitants has decreased by 54 thousand in the last year, representing a decline of 0.82%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 42.9 years in 2016 to 45.7 years in 2026. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 76.2 years and population density is 60.1 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Population Growth

The population growth rate of Bulgaria peaked in 1955, reaching around 1.07% annually, but has since declined to approximately -0.83% in 2026. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 80.31 thousand in 1955 to nearly -54.27 thousand in 2026.

Life Expectancy

In Bulgaria, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 72.7 years in 2006 to 76.2 years in 2026, representing an increase of almost 4 years over the past 2 decades.

Most populous cities in Bulgaria

The cities of Bulgaria are mostly small, but 6 stand out with more than 100 thousand inhabitants. The most populous city is Sofia, Sofia-Capital, con una diferencia significativa sobre las demás, alcanzando approximately 1.2 million inhabitants. It is followed by Plovdiv with 329.5 thousand and Varna with 318.7 thousand.

These are the 20 most populous cities in Bulgaria: