Country explorer: Bulgaria

Bulgaria has experienced substantial economic transformation, reflecting in its steadily increasing GDP per capita, the significant reduction in poverty across various thresholds, a notable decline in unemployment rates, and managed inflation rates, aligning its economic performance closer to its Eastern European peers like Czechia and Romania, while distinguishing itself by its ability to sustain economic improvements in the face of regional challenges.

Bulgaria has experienced a significant population decline due to sustained negative net migration and low fertility rates, a trend that is more pronounced compared to its peers, despite a slight improvement in life expectancy.

Bulgaria has experienced significant progress in improving access to basic needs such as electricity, safely managed drinking water, and sanitation facilities, underscoring a positive trajectory towards enhancing living standards akin to its Eastern European counterparts.

Bulgaria has experienced steady advancements in human development, marked by a consistent improvement in the Human Development Index, a significant reduction in child mortality rates, maintained high literacy rates, and an increase in learning-adjusted years of schooling, reflecting broad societal progress similar to that of other upper-middle-income countries.

Bulgaria has experienced variable but generally increasing CO₂ emissions per capita, significant growth in electricity production from renewable sources alongside a decrease in coal usage, a fluctuation in renewable freshwater resources per capita, and a steady increase in forest area, reflecting shifts towards environmental sustainability while grappling with challenges common among upper-middle-income countries.

Bulgaria has shown significant growth in technology and innovation, with notable improvements in internet usage, mobile phone subscriptions, research and development spending, and scientific publications, reflecting a broader digital and academic advancement similar to its upper-middle-income peers yet marked by distinctive leaps in internet penetration and mobile connectivity.

Bulgaria has seen a modest increase in the percentage of the population born abroad, steady improvement in self-reported life satisfaction, a decrease in gender inequality, and an increase in the age dependency ratio, reflecting broader trends in societal aging and gradual progress in social equity seen across many upper-middle-income countries.

Bulgaria has encountered challenges in enhancing its rule of law, managing corruption perceptions, and protecting political and civil liberties, reflecting a complex governance landscape that shares common struggles with its regional peers, yet faces distinctive hurdles in press freedom and judicial independence.