Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services was 97.5% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services 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
The most recent figure for share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Bulgaria is 97.5%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Bulgaria peaked at 99.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 97.5%, in 2024.
Bulgaria ranks 66th of 178 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 99.6% | — |
| 2001 | 99.5% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 99.5% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 99.4% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 99.3% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 99.2% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 99.1% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 99.0% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 98.9% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 98.8% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 98.7% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 98.7% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 98.6% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 98.5% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 98.4% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 98.3% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 98.2% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 98.1% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 98.0% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 97.9% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 97.9% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 97.8% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 97.7% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 97.6% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 97.5% | -0.1% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 97.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 100.0%, 98% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 97.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 99.9%, 98% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 99.2% | 98.8% | 99.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 98.3% | 97.9% | 98.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.7% | 97.5% | 97.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 63 Jordan 97.8% compare
- 64 Portugal 97.8% compare
- 65 Kazakhstan 97.6% compare
- 67 Mexico 97.5% compare
- 68 Bosnia and Herzegovina 97.3% compare
- 69 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 97.0% 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 share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Bulgaria?
- Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Bulgaria was 97.5% 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 share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 99.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 97.5% in 2024.
- How does Bulgaria rank for share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services?
- Bulgaria ranks 66th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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 Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services. 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 who use an improved drinking water source, which is either located on their premises, or at a collection point, which takes no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.