Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals was 15.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria, 1988–2022
Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total freshwater withdrawal.
Analysis
In 2022, municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria stood at 15.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% on the previous year and down 7.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria peaked at 19.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 1988.
That places Bulgaria 106th out of 180 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 3.3% | — |
| 1989 | 4.0% | +20.7% |
| 1990 | 7.2% | +78.1% |
| 1991 | 8.2% | +14.1% |
| 1992 | 9.2% | +12.9% |
| 1993 | 10.3% | +11.9% |
| 1994 | 11.5% | +11.1% |
| 1995 | 12.7% | +10.4% |
| 1996 | 13.9% | +9.8% |
| 1997 | 15.2% | +9.4% |
| 1998 | 16.6% | +8.9% |
| 1999 | 18.0% | +8.6% |
| 2000 | 19.5% | +8.3% |
| 2001 | 18.7% | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 16.2% | -13.2% |
| 2003 | 15.4% | -5.3% |
| 2004 | 15.8% | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 16.2% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 15.9% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 16.0% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 15.8% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 14.6% | -8.1% |
| 2012 | 16.6% | +13.9% |
| 2013 | 17.2% | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 16.5% | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 16.0% | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 15.7% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 16.0% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 15.9% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 16.0% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 16.9% | +5.5% |
| 2021 | 16.0% | -5.1% |
| 2022 | 15.4% | -3.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.7% | 3.3% | 4.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 12.3% | 7.2% | 18.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.5% | 15.4% | 19.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.0% | 14.6% | 17.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.1% | 15.4% | 16.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More environment data for Bulgaria
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- 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)
- Plywood and LVL — Import quantity, annual growth rate -8.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Plywood and LVL — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Plywood and LVL — Import quantity, per capita 0.009 m3 per person (2024)
- Plywood and LVL — Import value, annual growth rate -13.94 % change on previous year (2024)
- Plywood and LVL — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria?
- Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals in Bulgaria was 15.4% in 2022, according to AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 19.5% in 2000.
- What is the lowest municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 1988.
- How does Bulgaria rank for municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- Bulgaria ranks 106th out of 180 countries with data for 2022.
- Is municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Municipal water as a share of total water withdrawals. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Municipal (domestic) water withdrawals as a percentage of total water withdrawals (which is the sum of water used for agriculture, industry, and municipal purposes).