Employment by main economic activity - Regions in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Employment by main economic activity - Regions was 3.52 million Persons in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
3.52 million Persons
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
25th
of 43 countries
All-time high
3.81 million Persons
in 2008
All-time low
3.21 million Persons
in 2001
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Employment by main economic activity - Regions in Bulgaria, 2000–2024

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M2000201220242000: 3.2M Persons2001: 3.2M Persons2002: 3.2M Persons2003: 3.3M Persons2004: 3.4M Persons2005: 3.5M Persons2006: 3.6M Persons2007: 3.7M Persons2008: 3.8M Persons2009: 3.7M Persons2010: 3.6M Persons2011: 3.5M Persons2012: 3.4M Persons2013: 3.4M Persons2014: 3.4M Persons2015: 3.4M Persons2016: 3.5M Persons2017: 3.5M Persons2018: 3.5M Persons2019: 3.5M Persons2020: 3.4M Persons2021: 3.4M Persons2022: 3.4M Persons2023: 3.5M Persons2024: 3.5M Persons

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons.

Analysis

In 2024, employment by main economic activity - regions in Bulgaria stood at 3.52 million Persons.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment by main economic activity - regions in Bulgaria peaked at 3.81 million Persons in 2008 and was at its lowest, 3.21 million Persons, in 2001.

Bulgaria ranks 25th of 43 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Employment by main economic activity - Regions in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Employment by main economic activity - Regions in Bulgaria, 2000 to 2024.
Year Persons Change
2000 3.24 million Persons
2001 3.21 million Persons -0.8%
2002 3.22 million Persons +0.2%
2003 3.32 million Persons +3.0%
2004 3.40 million Persons +2.6%
2005 3.50 million Persons +2.7%
2006 3.61 million Persons +3.3%
2007 3.73 million Persons +3.2%
2008 3.81 million Persons +2.4%
2009 3.75 million Persons -1.7%
2010 3.60 million Persons -3.9%
2011 3.52 million Persons -2.2%
2012 3.44 million Persons -2.5%
2013 3.42 million Persons -0.4%
2014 3.43 million Persons +0.4%
2015 3.45 million Persons +0.4%
2016 3.46 million Persons +0.5%
2017 3.53 million Persons +1.8%
2018 3.52 million Persons -0.1%
2019 3.47 million Persons -1.5%
2020 3.41 million Persons -1.8%
2021 3.41 million Persons +0.1%
2022 3.44 million Persons +1.1%
2023 3.48 million Persons +1.1%
2024 3.52 million Persons +1.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 3.48 million Persons 3.21 million Persons 3.81 million Persons 10
2010s 3.48 million Persons 3.42 million Persons 3.60 million Persons 10
2020s 3.45 million Persons 3.41 million Persons 3.52 million Persons 5

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 22 Hungary 4.79 million Persons compare
  2. 23 Austria 4.73 million Persons compare
  3. 24 Israel 4.62 million Persons compare
  4. 26 Serbia 3.37 million Persons compare
  5. 27 Denmark 3.22 million Persons compare
  6. 28 Norway 2.93 million Persons compare

See the full ranking of 49 places →

More economy & growth data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment by main economic activity - regions in Bulgaria?
Employment by main economic activity - regions in Bulgaria was 3.52 million Persons in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest employment by main economic activity - regions recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 3.81 million Persons in 2008.
What is the lowest employment by main economic activity - regions recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 3.21 million Persons in 2001.
How does Bulgaria rank for employment by main economic activity - regions?
Bulgaria ranks 25th out of 43 countries with data for 2024.
Is employment by main economic activity - regions rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Employment by main economic activity - Regions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment by main economic activity - Regions in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/employment-by-main-economic-activity-regions/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment by main economic activity - Regions
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
49 places, 1,247 data points, 1980–2025
Last refreshed

This dataset provides indicators on employment by 10 broad activities and labour utilisation, in large regions (TL2) and small regions (TL3). Data source and definition Employment data is collected from Eurostat for EU countries and via delegates of the OECD Working Party on Territorial Indicators (WPTI), as well as from national statistical offices' websites. Employment is measured at place of work. Labour utilisation is measured by the number of employment at place of work per capita, for total activity. See the Regional data sources. Definition of regions Regions are subnational units below national boundaries. OECD countries have two regional levels: large regions (territorial level 2 or TL2) and small regions (territorial level 3 or TL3). See the OECD Territorial grid. Use of economic data on small regions TL3 regions are grouped into typologies based on shared characteristics. For economic analysis, TL3 regions belonging to the same Functional Urban Area (FUA) with more than 250,000 inhabitants are aggregated into a single metropolitan region to reduce distortions from commuting. See the OECD Territorial Correspondence Table. Cite this dataset OECD Regions, Cities and Local Areas database http://oe.cd/geostats. Further information OECD Regions and Cities Statistical Atlas OECD Regions and Cities at a Glance For questions and/or comments, please email RegionStat@oecd.org.