Water withdrawals per capita in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Water withdrawals per capita was 773.12 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
773.12 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
35th
of 180 countries
All-time high
1,601 cubic meters per person
in 1980
All-time low
716.65 cubic meters per person
in 2020
Years of data
44
1980–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Bulgaria, 1980–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in cubic meters per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for water withdrawals per capita in Bulgaria is 773.12 cubic meters per person, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 3.0% on the previous year and up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Bulgaria peaked at 1,601 cubic meters per person in 1980 and was at its lowest, 716.65 cubic meters per person, in 2020.
Bulgaria ranks 35th of 180 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1,601 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1981 | 1,593 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 1,587 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 1,581 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 1,576 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 1,573 cubic meters per person | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 1,513 cubic meters per person | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 1,452 cubic meters per person | -4.0% |
| 1988 | 1,391 cubic meters per person | -4.2% |
| 1989 | 1,339 cubic meters per person | -3.7% |
| 1990 | 864.13 cubic meters per person | -35.5% |
| 1991 | 859.57 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 855.88 cubic meters per person | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 847.63 cubic meters per person | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 834.91 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 823.01 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 811.6 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 800.79 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 790.24 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 778.69 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 766.58 cubic meters per person | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 735.73 cubic meters per person | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 838.09 cubic meters per person | +13.9% |
| 2003 | 880.83 cubic meters per person | +5.1% |
| 2004 | 852.86 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 848.36 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 843.84 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 817.46 cubic meters per person | -3.1% |
| 2008 | 846.74 cubic meters per person | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 817.44 cubic meters per person | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 801.29 cubic meters per person | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 865.19 cubic meters per person | +8.0% |
| 2012 | 781.06 cubic meters per person | -9.7% |
| 2013 | 752.69 cubic meters per person | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 744.22 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 784.31 cubic meters per person | +5.4% |
| 2016 | 798.22 cubic meters per person | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 799.65 cubic meters per person | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 772.27 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 777.29 cubic meters per person | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 716.65 cubic meters per person | -7.8% |
| 2021 | 758.3 cubic meters per person | +5.8% |
| 2022 | 797.26 cubic meters per person | +5.1% |
| 2023 | 773.12 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 773.12 cubic meters per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 376.78 cubic meters per person, 2.1× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 773.12 cubic meters per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 419.39 cubic meters per person, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Water withdrawals per capita in Bulgaria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | -35.5% | 1,339 cubic meters per person | 864.13 cubic meters per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,521 cubic meters per person | 1,339 cubic meters per person | 1,601 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 826.64 cubic meters per person | 778.69 cubic meters per person | 864.13 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 824.79 cubic meters per person | 735.73 cubic meters per person | 880.83 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 787.62 cubic meters per person | 744.22 cubic meters per person | 865.19 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 761.33 cubic meters per person | 716.65 cubic meters per person | 797.26 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 32 Philippines 793.83 cubic meters per person compare
- 33 Indonesia 791.76 cubic meters per person compare
- 34 Saudi Arabia 781.38 cubic meters per person compare
- 36 Serbia 761.09 cubic meters per person compare
- 37 Pakistan 741.2 cubic meters per person compare
- 38 Turkey 739.86 cubic meters per person 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 water withdrawals per capita in Bulgaria?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Bulgaria was 773.12 cubic meters per person in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 1,601 cubic meters per person in 1980.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 716.65 cubic meters per person in 2020.
- How does Bulgaria rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Bulgaria ranks 35th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. 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 – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Water withdrawals per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.