Drinking water service usage in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Drinking water service usage was 96.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Drinking water service usage in Bulgaria, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 96.2% for drinking water service usage in 2024.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in Bulgaria peaked at 97.0% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 89.6%, in 2000.
Bulgaria ranks 53rd of 163 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Drinking water service usage in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 89.6% | — |
| 2001 | 90.1% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 90.7% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 91.2% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 91.7% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 92.3% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 92.8% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 93.3% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 93.8% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 94.4% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 94.9% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 95.4% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 96.0% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 96.5% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 97.0% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 97.0% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 96.9% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 96.8% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 96.7% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 96.6% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 96.5% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 96.5% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 96.4% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 96.3% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 96.2% | -0.1% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 96.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 98.7%, 97% of the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 96.2% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 96.7%, 99% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 92.0% | 89.6% | 94.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 96.4% | 94.9% | 97.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 96.4% | 96.2% | 96.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 50 Greece 96.7% compare
- 51 Guadeloupe 96.7% compare
- 52 Saint Martin (French part) 96.6% compare
- 54 Ireland 96.1% compare
- 55 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 96.0% compare
- 56 Reunion 95.7% compare
More environment data for Bulgaria
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.39 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.573 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.18 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -6.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.7509 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water service usage in Bulgaria?
- Drinking water service usage in Bulgaria was 96.2% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drinking water service usage recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 97.0% in 2014.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 89.6% in 2000.
- How does Bulgaria rank for drinking water service usage?
- Bulgaria ranks 53rd out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Drinking water service usage. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of people using an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from fecal and priority chemical contamination.