Long-term unemployment rate in Bulgaria
In 2025, 1.5% of the labour force in Bulgaria had been unemployed for at least a year. The value for 2025 is the lowest in the series, which starts in 2009. The source marks a break in the series within this span, so values before and after it may not be fully comparable.
Bulgaria, 2025
1.5%
Change from 2024
−0.7percentage points
European Union, 2025
1.9%
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2025
1.8%
Position in 2025
19th of 34
Long-term unemployment rate in Bulgaria over time
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Bulgaria
European Union
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The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of the labour force. Source: Eurostat. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.
| Period | Bulgaria | European Union |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| 2024 | 2.2%b (break in time series) | 1.9% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | 2.1% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | 2.4% |
| 2021 | 2.6% | 2.8% |
| 2020 | 2.8% | 2.4% |
| 2019 | 3.0%b (break in time series) | 2.7% |
| 2018 | 3.7% | 3.1% |
| 2017 | 4.0% | 3.7% |
| 2016 | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| 2015 | 6.3% | 4.9% |
| 2014 | 7.6% | 5.4% |
| 2013 | 8.1% | 5.4% |
| 2012 | 7.5% | 4.9% |
| 2011 | 7.0%b (break in time series) | 4.3% |
| 2010 | 5.3%b (break in time series) | 4.0% |
| 2009 | 3.5% | 3.1% |
Flags: b break in time series . A dash means no value was published.
In short
- That is a change of −0.7 percentage points from 2.2% in 2024.
- Since 2015, when it was 6.3%, the figure has changed by −4.8 percentage points. The source marks a break in the series during this period, so part of the change may come from a change in method.
- Among the 34 countries with data for 2025, Bulgaria has the 19th highest value.
- The figure for the European Union in 2025 was 1.9%.
More for Bulgaria
All statistics for Bulgaria
Unemployment rate, ages 15 to 74
3.5%
2025 · Eurostat
Youth unemployment rate, ages 15 to 24
13.1%
2025 · Eurostat
Employment rate, ages 20 to 64
77.0%
2025 · Eurostat
Employment rate of women, ages 20 to 64
73.2%
2025 · Eurostat
Monthly unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted)
3.4%
September 2026 · Eurostat
Usual weekly working hours
39.9 hours per week
2025 · Eurostat