Neonatal mortality rate (United Nations) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Neonatal mortality rate (United Nations) was 0.2582 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
0.2582 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
166th
of 199 countries
All-time high
1.48 deaths per 100 live births
in 1964
All-time low
0.2582 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
61
1964–2024
Neonatal mortality rate in Bulgaria, 1964–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for neonatal mortality rate in Bulgaria is 0.2582 deaths per 100 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 61 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and down 39.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in Bulgaria peaked at 1.48 deaths per 100 live births in 1964 and was at its lowest, 0.2582 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
Bulgaria ranks 166th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Neonatal mortality rate (United Nations) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 1.48 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1965 | 1.45 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1966 | 1.43 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 1.43 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 1.41 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1969 | 1.37 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1970 | 1.34 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1971 | 1.34 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 1.36 deaths per 100 live births | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 1.37 deaths per 100 live births | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 1.36 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 1.32 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 1.26 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 1977 | 1.18 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 1978 | 1.12 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 1979 | 1.08 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1980 | 1.04 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1981 | 1.01 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 1982 | 0.9663 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 1983 | 0.9251 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 1984 | 0.885 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 1985 | 0.8453 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1986 | 0.8063 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1987 | 0.7753 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1988 | 0.7636 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 0.7745 deaths per 100 live births | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 0.8014 deaths per 100 live births | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 0.8361 deaths per 100 live births | +4.3% |
| 1992 | 0.8649 deaths per 100 live births | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 0.8751 deaths per 100 live births | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 0.8623 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 0.8439 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1996 | 0.836 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 0.836 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.8309 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 0.8132 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 0.7868 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 0.7562 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 0.7214 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 2003 | 0.6817 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 2004 | 0.6379 deaths per 100 live births | -6.4% |
| 2005 | 0.5955 deaths per 100 live births | -6.6% |
| 2006 | 0.5594 deaths per 100 live births | -6.1% |
| 2007 | 0.5331 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 0.5189 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 0.5145 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 0.5101 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 0.4956 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 0.473 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 0.4489 deaths per 100 live births | -5.1% |
| 2014 | 0.4268 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 0.4059 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 2016 | 0.3856 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 0.3655 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 2018 | 0.3445 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 2019 | 0.3235 deaths per 100 live births | -6.1% |
| 2020 | 0.3043 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 2021 | 0.2882 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 2022 | 0.2757 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 2023 | 0.2658 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2024 | 0.2582 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 0.2582 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.2623 deaths per 100 live births, 98% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 0.2582 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.2468 deaths per 100 live births, 1.0× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.43 deaths per 100 live births | 1.37 deaths per 100 live births | 1.48 deaths per 100 live births | 6 |
| 1970s | 1.27 deaths per 100 live births | 1.08 deaths per 100 live births | 1.37 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8792 deaths per 100 live births | 0.7636 deaths per 100 live births | 1.04 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.84 deaths per 100 live births | 0.8014 deaths per 100 live births | 0.8751 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6305 deaths per 100 live births | 0.5145 deaths per 100 live births | 0.7868 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4179 deaths per 100 live births | 0.3235 deaths per 100 live births | 0.5101 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2785 deaths per 100 live births | 0.2582 deaths per 100 live births | 0.3043 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 163 Netherlands 0.2623 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 164 China 0.2594 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 165 Ireland 0.2582 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 167 Poland 0.2468 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 168 Turks and Caicos Islands 0.2419 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 169 United Arab Emirates 0.2361 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Bulgaria
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.5 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.615 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 39 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.2564 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0222 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.3643 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0235 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is neonatal mortality rate in Bulgaria?
- Neonatal mortality rate in Bulgaria was 0.2582 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 1.48 deaths per 100 live births in 1964.
- What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2582 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Bulgaria rank for neonatal mortality rate?
- Bulgaria ranks 166th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Neonatal mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged less than 28 days, per 100 live births .