Annual forest expansion in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Annual forest expansion was 12,600 hectares per year in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Annual forest expansion in Bulgaria, 1990–2020
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares per year.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual forest expansion in Bulgaria is 12,600 hectares per year, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of down 34.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual forest expansion in Bulgaria peaked at 36,200 hectares per year in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4,800 hectares per year, in 1990.
That places Bulgaria 26th out of 110 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
Annual forest expansion in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | hectares per year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 4,800 hectares per year | — |
| 2000 | 36,200 hectares per year | +654.2% |
| 2010 | 19,200 hectares per year | -47.0% |
| 2015 | 12,000 hectares per year | -37.5% |
| 2020 | 12,600 hectares per year | +5.0% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 12,600 hectares per year is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,880 hectares per year, 4.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 12,600 hectares per year is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5,130 hectares per year, 2.5× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4,800 hectares per year | 4,800 hectares per year | 4,800 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2000s | 36,200 hectares per year | 36,200 hectares per year | 36,200 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2010s | 15,600 hectares per year | 12,000 hectares per year | 19,200 hectares per year | 2 |
| 2020s | 12,600 hectares per year | 12,600 hectares per year | 12,600 hectares per year | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
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 annual forest expansion in Bulgaria?
- Annual forest expansion in Bulgaria was 12,600 hectares per year in 2020, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual forest expansion recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 36,200 hectares per year in 2000.
- What is the lowest annual forest expansion recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,800 hectares per year in 1990.
- How does Bulgaria rank for annual forest expansion?
- Bulgaria ranks 26th out of 110 countries with data for 2020.
- Is annual forest expansion rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual forest expansion. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Forest expansion is the sum of afforestation (the establishment of forest through planting and/or deliberate seeding) and natural forest expansion (expansion of forests through natural succession on land that, until then, was under another land use).