Life expectancy at birth in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Life expectancy at birth was 71.31 in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
71.31
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
101st
of 184 countries
All-time high
75
in 2019
All-time low
71.31
in 2021
Years of data
22
2000–2021

Life expectancy at birth in Bulgaria, 2000–2021

0204060802000201020212000: 71.62001: 71.92002: 72.12003: 72.32004: 72.52005: 72.52006: 72.62007: 72.92008: 73.22009: 73.62010: 73.72011: 74.12012: 74.32013: 74.82014: 74.42015: 74.62016: 74.82017: 74.72018: 74.92019: 752020: 73.52021: 71.3

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

Bulgaria recorded 71.31 for life expectancy at birth in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.

That represents a change of down 3.0% on the previous year and down 3.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Bulgaria peaked at 75 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 71.31, in 2021.

Bulgaria ranks 101st of 184 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Life expectancy at birth in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Life expectancy at birth (years) in Bulgaria, 2000 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2000 71.64 —
2001 71.85 +0.3%
2002 72.11 +0.4%
2003 72.29 +0.2%
2004 72.48 +0.3%
2005 72.48 -0.0%
2006 72.62 +0.2%
2007 72.92 +0.4%
2008 73.25 +0.4%
2009 73.58 +0.5%
2010 73.67 +0.1%
2011 74.07 +0.5%
2012 74.28 +0.3%
2013 74.8 +0.7%
2014 74.41 -0.5%
2015 74.56 +0.2%
2016 74.77 +0.3%
2017 74.72 -0.1%
2018 74.85 +0.2%
2019 75 +0.2%
2020 73.49 -2.0%
2021 71.31 -3.0%

Bulgaria compared with similar countries

  • Bulgaria's 71.31 is below the median for high income countries, which is 79.31, 90% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • Bulgaria's 71.31 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 75.9, 94% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 72.52 71.64 73.58 10
2010s 74.51 73.67 75 10
2020s 72.4 71.31 73.49 2

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 98 Peru 71.67 compare
  2. 99 El Salvador 71.67 compare
  3. 100 Iraq 71.47 compare
  4. 102 Georgia 71.24 compare
  5. 103 Venezuela 71.22 compare
  6. 104 Sao Tome and Principe 71.18 compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More health data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is life expectancy at birth in Bulgaria?
Life expectancy at birth in Bulgaria was 71.31 in 2021, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 75 in 2019.
What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 71.31 in 2021.
How does Bulgaria rank for life expectancy at birth?
Bulgaria ranks 101st out of 184 countries with data for 2021.
Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Life expectancy at birth (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Life expectancy at birth in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/life-expectancy-at-birth-years/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Life expectancy at birth (years)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
197 places, 4,334 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed