site.bta3.765 Mln Working Age People in Bulgaria at End-2024, National Statistical Institute Deputy Chair Says

As of December 31, 2024, Bulgaria’s working-age population stood at 3.765 million people, representing 58.5% of the country’s total population. Of these, 1.97 million were men and 1.795 million were women, said Deputy President of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) Svilen Kolev on Tuesday during a conference organized by the Human Resources Development Programme of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

By the end of 2024, 1.701 million Bulgarians (26.4%) were above working age, while 971,000 people (15.1%) were below working age, Kolev noted.

Bulgaria’s total population at the end of 2024 was 6,437,360, marking a decrease of 8,121 people, or 0.13%, compared to 2023. NSI data show a population decline of 2,512,500 since 1985, Kolev said.

At the end of 2024, people aged 65 and over numbered 1,544,245, or 24% of the population. The 15–64 age group included 3,991,272 people (62%), while children under 15 numbered 901,843, or 14% of the total population.

In the second quarter of 2025, economically inactive Bulgarians aged 15–64 numbered 1,042,100, including 456,100 men and 585,900 women. The number of discouraged persons in this age group was 15,500, representing 1.5% of the economically inactive population, NSI data showed.

Bulgaria continues to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the European Union - 3.6% as of August 2025. However, youth unemployment remains higher at around 15%, compared to the EU average of 14%, Kolev said.

Among NSI’s recommendations for boosting employment are policies and programmes supporting women on parental leave to maintain their qualifications during periods of absence from the labour market, as well as incentives to encourage Bulgarians living abroad to return home. Kolev also highlighted the importance of awareness campaigns to inform inactive individuals about their labour and social security rights and benefits.