Land use in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Land use was 3.62 million hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
3.62 million hectares
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
70th
of 224 countries
All-time high
4.62 million hectares
in 1961
All-time low
3.27 million hectares
in 2008
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use in Bulgaria, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, land use in Bulgaria stood at 3.62 million hectares.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in Bulgaria peaked at 4.62 million hectares in 1961 and was at its lowest, 3.27 million hectares, in 2008.
Bulgaria ranks 70th of 224 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Land use in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.62 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 4.54 million hectares | -1.8% |
| 1963 | 4.53 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 4.57 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 4.56 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 4.56 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 4.55 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 4.56 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 4.55 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 4.53 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 4.52 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 4.51 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 4.50 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 4.49 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 4.34 million hectares | -3.2% |
| 1976 | 4.33 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 4.31 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 4.29 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 4.25 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 4.18 million hectares | -1.8% |
| 1981 | 4.17 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 4.15 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 4.14 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 4.13 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 4.13 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 4.13 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 4.13 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 4.14 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 4.15 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 4.16 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 4.16 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 4.33 million hectares | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 4.31 million hectares | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 4.22 million hectares | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 4.20 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 4.40 million hectares | +4.8% |
| 1997 | 4.50 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 3.82 million hectares | -15.1% |
| 1999 | 3.86 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 3.78 million hectares | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 3.71 million hectares | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 3.58 million hectares | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 3.54 million hectares | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 3.52 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 3.36 million hectares | -4.6% |
| 2006 | 3.31 million hectares | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 3.27 million hectares | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 3.27 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 3.31 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 3.35 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 3.41 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 3.48 million hectares | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 3.61 million hectares | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 3.61 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 3.64 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 3.64 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 3.64 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 3.63 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 3.63 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 3.64 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 3.65 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 3.61 million hectares | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 3.62 million hectares | +0.4% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 3.62 million hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 303,040 hectares, 12.0× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 3.62 million hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.39 million hectares, 2.6× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.56 million hectares | 4.53 million hectares | 4.62 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 4.41 million hectares | 4.25 million hectares | 4.53 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.15 million hectares | 4.13 million hectares | 4.18 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.20 million hectares | 3.82 million hectares | 4.50 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.47 million hectares | 3.27 million hectares | 3.78 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.56 million hectares | 3.35 million hectares | 3.64 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.63 million hectares | 3.61 million hectares | 3.65 million hectares | 4 |
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 land use in Bulgaria?
- Land use in Bulgaria was 3.62 million hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land use recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 4.62 million hectares in 1961.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.27 million hectares in 2008.
- How does Bulgaria rank for land use?
- Bulgaria ranks 70th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Land use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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