Bulgaria: Secondary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Bulgaria's secondary education, teachers rose 3.1% on 2023 (from 42,503 to 43,834).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2023), the average change was −1.6% and a typical year strayed about 3.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 4.9% in 2000 and the biggest yearly fall was 11.8% in 1999. 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 603.88 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 42nd highest value of the 85 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

• Syrian Arab Republic — 39th of 85: 54,596
• Denmark — 40th of 85: 50,935
• Oman — 41st of 85: 43,982
• Finland — 43rd of 85: 42,938
• Sierra Leone — 44th of 85: 38,043
• Slovak Republic — 45th of 85: 37,693

What this measures

Secondary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at secondary 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

Secondary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Albania — 23,080 (2024)
• Andorra — 605 (2024)
• Armenia — 22,576 (2024)
• Austria — 75,436 (2024)
• Belarus — 71,514 (2024)
• Belgium — 137,795 (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 27,426 (2023)
• Croatia — 53,231 (2023)
• Cyprus — 8,083 (2023)
• Denmark — 50,935 (2024)
• Estonia — 9,391 (2021)
• Finland

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 secondary education, teachers?

43,834 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1996?

It is down 34.35% from 66,768 in 1996 (1.49% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 67,088 in 1997 and the lowest 38,210 in 2017.

How does Bulgaria rank?

42nd highest of 85 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Bulgaria's secondary education, teachers rose 3.1% on 2023 (from 42,503 to 43,834). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2023), the average change was −1.6% and a typical year strayed about 3.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.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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