Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected was 98.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Bulgaria, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected in Bulgaria stood at 98.7%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected in Bulgaria peaked at 98.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 14.0%, in 2000.
Bulgaria ranks 13th of 164 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.0% | — |
| 2001 | 18.5% | +32.1% |
| 2002 | 35.6% | +92.3% |
| 2003 | 35.6% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 35.6% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 35.6% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 35.9% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 95.0% | +164.6% |
| 2008 | 95.0% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 95.0% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 95.0% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 95.0% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 95.0% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 95.0% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 95.0% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 95.0% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 95.0% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 95.0% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 98.6% | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 98.7% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 98.7% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 98.7% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 98.7% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 98.7% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 49.6% | 14.0% | 95.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 95.7% | 95.0% | 98.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.7% | 98.6% | 98.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 10 Cayman Islands 99.8% compare
- 11 Gambia 99.0% compare
- 12 Seychelles 98.9% compare
- 14 Cuba 98.2% compare
- 15 Ireland 98.2% compare
- 16 El Salvador 97.7% 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)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 10.24 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per capita 0.0638 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected in Bulgaria?
- Share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected in Bulgaria was 98.7% in 2025, according to BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 98.7% in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.0% in 2000.
- How does Bulgaria rank for share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected?
- Bulgaria ranks 13th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average proportion of Freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas (%).