Bulgaria: Primary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Bulgaria's primary education, teachers fell 2.1% on 2023 (from 23,192 to 22,710).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2023), the average change was −0.2% and a typical year strayed about 5.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 16.9% in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 9.4% in 2001. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1,039 a year. A straight line explains 87% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Bulgaria had the 63rd highest value of the 108 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Bulgaria in the 2024 ranking

• Hong Kong SAR, China — 60th of 108: 28,284
• New Zealand — 61st of 108: 26,597
• Mauritania — 62nd of 108: 24,560
• Belarus — 64th of 108: 22,228
• El Salvador — 65th of 108: 22,132
• Namibia — 66th of 108: 21,240

What this measures

Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.

Limitations: The precision of this indicator can be influenced by the enumeration method used, such as headcount or 'full-time equivalent' count of teachers.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 29 values

Primary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Albania — 9,336 (2024)
• Andorra — 413 (2024)
• Armenia — 7,540 (2024)
• Austria — 35,752 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 38,731 (2024)
• Belarus — 22,228 (2024)
• Belgium — 80,763 (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 9,722 (2023)
• Croatia — 13,441 (2023)
• Cyprus — 5,389 (2023)
• Denmark — 42,105 (2024)
• Estonia

More education data for Bulgaria

• Primary school starting age (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 4 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 8 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 234,521 (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 485,226 (2024)
• Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% of cohort) — 99.81% (2023)
• Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) — 52.32% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.99 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Bulgaria's primary education, teachers?

22,710 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1996?

It is down 10.95% from 25,503 in 1996 (0.41% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 25,860 in 1997 and the lowest 14,388 in 2013.

How does Bulgaria rank?

63rd highest of 108 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers unusual for Bulgaria?

In 2024, Bulgaria's primary education, teachers fell 2.1% on 2023 (from 23,192 to 22,710). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2023), the average change was −0.2% and a typical year strayed about 5.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.TCHR, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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