food
Bulgaria is credited with the discovery of the specific bacteria used to make traditional yogurt, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, named after the country.
Bulgaria
Republic of Bulgaria
Population, GDP, and key facts about Bulgaria — updated for 2026.
Capital · SOFIAContinent · EUROPEISO · BGR
Bulgaria quick facts
- Population
- 6,441,421
- Area
- 110,997 km²
- Population density
- 59 people/km²
- GDP
- US$ 113.3 Billion
- GDP per capita
- US$ 17.6K
- Capital
- Sofia
- Currency
- Bulgarian lev (лв, BGN)
- Language
- Bulgarian
Bulgaria at human scale
Where does Bulgaria rank in the world?
Compare Bulgaria with other countries
🇧🇬 vs 🇸🇰Compare Bulgaria vs Slovak Republic1.2× difference in population🇧🇬 vs 🇸🇻Compare Bulgaria vs El Salvador
Compare Bulgaria with any country →Everything we know about Bulgaria
history
Bulgaria is one of the oldest countries in Europe to have kept its original name since it was founded in 681 CE.
Countries near Bulgaria
How many countries do you think Bulgaria could fit?
Pour other countries into Bulgaria's own outline, by real area, and see how many it takes to fill it up.
Fill the Country →Frequently asked questions about Bulgaria
What is the capital of Bulgaria?
The capital of Bulgaria is Sofia.
What is Bulgaria's population?
Bulgaria has a population of 6,441,421.
What is Bulgaria's GDP per capita?
Bulgaria's GDP per capita is US$ 17.6K.
What is the currency of Bulgaria?
The currency of Bulgaria is the Bulgarian lev (BGN).
Is Bulgaria bigger than Slovak Republic?
Bulgaria is about 2.3× the size of Slovak Republic by land area.
Data from the World Bank, updated September 2026.