MigrantoBulgarian Diaspora
1.3M Bulgarians live abroad — 19% of the population of Bulgaria
Bulgarian diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 63% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Turkey | 348052 |
| Germany | 338439 |
| Spain | 103587 |
| Greece | 78992 |
| Netherlands | 58481 |
| Belgium | 51857 |
| Italy | 50769 |
| Austria | 38651 |
| France | 35728 |
| Canada | 20575 |
| Israel | 18875 |
| Czech Republic | 12878 |
| Denmark | 12544 |
| Switzerland | 12532 |
| Sweden | 11009 |
| Norway | 8109 |
| Portugal | 6682 |
| Cyprus | 6498 |
| Malta | 4743 |
| Romania | 4443 |
| Australia | 3874 |
| Finland | 3021 |
| Slovakia | 2822 |
| Russia | 2615 |
| Poland | 2585 |
| Luxembourg | 1975 |
| Ukraine | 1784 |
| Hungary | 1676 |
| Slovenia | 1585 |
| North Macedonia | 1079 |
| Serbia | 896 |
| Iceland | 778 |
| South Africa | 766 |
| Moldova | 446 |
| Argentina | 366 |
| Estonia | 342 |
| Mexico | 289 |
| Croatia | 271 |
| Brazil | 270 |
| Georgia | 237 |
| Lithuania | 147 |
| Panama | 133 |
| Venezuela | 127 |
| Latvia | 103 |
| Costa Rica | 103 |
| Dominican Republic | 82 |
| Montenegro | 76 |
| Faroe Islands | 73 |
| Nicaragua | 64 |
| Belarus | 58 |
| Namibia | 32 |
| Bolivia | 29 |
| Bahamas | 22 |
| Liechtenstein | 21 |
| Greenland | 17 |
| Mongolia | 16 |
| Cuba | 9 |
| Guinea | 1 |
By region
68% of the diaspora lives in Europe
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Key facts
The Bulgarian diaspora in numbers
The community in the Netherlands is growing fastest
The number of Bulgarians living in the Netherlands has grown 178% since 2015, from 21K to 58.5K.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 77% to 28%.
The share of the diaspora living in the Middle East has declined since 1990
81.3% of the diaspora lived in the Middle East in 1990, compared with 29.8% today.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
7 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Spain, Netherlands, Czech Republic. Spain climbed from outside the top 20 to #3.
Most Bulgarians abroad live in Turkey
28% of the diaspora lives in Turkey, while the next country accounts for just 27%.
1 in 5 people born in Bulgaria lives abroad
1.3M people born in Bulgaria now live in other countries — 19.4% of a population of 6.4M.
Bulgarian diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 597707 |
| 1995 | 661065 |
| 2000 | 707846 |
| 2005 | 808373 |
| 2010 | 926056 |
| 2015 | 1030383 |
| 2020 | 1178732 |
| 2024 | 1252234 |
Largest communities over time
Bulgarians living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Turkey | Germany | Spain | Greece | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 462221 | 34540 | 0 | 7509 | 663 |
| 1995 | 471243 | 57398 | 7279 | 22834 | 1072 |
| 2000 | 480265 | 51558 | 21096 | 38534 | 1762 |
| 2005 | 448154 | 55861 | 94273 | 56513 | 3230 |
| 2010 | 413362 | 76221 | 143717 | 77194 | 14187 |
| 2015 | 380354 | 174357 | 124625 | 72744 | 21026 |
| 2020 | 363507 | 295226 | 113958 | 74359 | 36749 |
| 2024 | 348052 | 338439 | 103587 | 78992 | 58481 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Bulgarians in each country has changed since the selected year
Bulgarians among immigrants in other countries
Where Bulgarians make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Bulgarians live outside Bulgaria?
Around 1.3M Bulgarians live abroad, the world's #58 largest diaspora.
Where do most Bulgarians abroad live?
Most Bulgarians live in Turkey, Germany and Spain — these three countries account for about 63% of all Bulgarians living abroad.
Which country has the largest Bulgarian population outside Bulgaria?
Turkey is home to the largest Bulgarian community abroad — 348.1K people, about 28% of all Bulgarians living abroad.
What share of the population of Bulgaria lives abroad?
About 19% of the population of Bulgaria lives abroad — that's 1.3M out of a total population of 6.4M.
Is the Bulgarian diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Bulgarians living abroad has grown from 1M to 1.3M, about 22%.
Where does the data on the Bulgarian diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Bulgaria who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Bulgaria
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