Bulgaria (Republic of Bulgaria)

Bulgaria Republic of Bulgaria
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	48th best
Capital	Sofia
Land Area	108 560km21
Location	Europe, The Balkans
Population	7.1m2
Life Expectancy	71.80yrs (2017)3
GNI	$23 079 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	BG, BGR, 1005
Internet Domain	.bg6
Currency	Lev (BGN)7
Telephone	+3598

1. Overview
2. Bulgaria National and Social Development
3. Bulgaria's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Bulgaria's Health
6. Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Bulgaria's Modernity and Learning
8. Bulgaria's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

“The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“From wild, wooded mountain ranges speckled with remote villages and enchanting monasteries to vibrant modern cities and long sandy beaches hugging the Black Sea coast, Bulgaria rewards exploration. Bulgaria may attract the majority of its visitors with its long, sandy Black Sea beaches, but there´s much more to see than that. Bulgaria boasts no fewer than seven mountain ranges and varied landscapes ideal for hiking, cycling, climbing and wildlife-watching. And you´ll find some of Europe´s most modern and reasonably priced ski resorts.

The depth of Bulgaria´s history and culture are immediately evident. There are countless churches and a full measure of Orthodox monasteries full of vibrant icons, picturesque villages of timber-framed houses 19th-century revival-era architecture and cobbled lanes, and dramatic reminders of the country´s heritage, from Thracian tombs and Roman ruins to medieval fortresses, Ottoman mosques and communist monuments slowly crumbling away into history.

Bulgaria´s cities reward visitors, with treasure-filled museums and galleries, and parks sprinkled with cafes and restaurants where the coffee is strong, the cuisine hearty and the conversation always animated.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Bulgaria National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
66	Thailand	0.800
67	Albania	0.796
68=	Grenada	0.795
68=	Bulgaria	0.795
70	Barbados	0.790
71	Antigua & Barbuda	0.788
72	Seychelles	0.785
73	Sri Lanka	0.782
	Europe Avg	0.87
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
57	Kazakhstan	$23 943
58	Trinidad & Tobago	$23 392
59	St Kitts & Nevis	$23 358
60	Bulgaria	$23 079
61	Guyana	$22 465
62	Mauritius	$22 025
63	Uruguay	$21 269
64	Argentina	$20 925
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	28.1
2	Norway	31.2
3	Switzerland	32.9
	...
45	Sri Lanka	66.9
46	San Marino	67.9
47	Romania	68.8
48	Bulgaria	69.0
49	Argentina	70.3
50	Barbados	71.0
51	Thailand	71.9
52	Montenegro	72.1
	Europe Avg	55.7
	World Avg	88.7
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Bulgaria's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Bulgaria's population is predicted to fall to 6 455 000 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 1.78. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
102	Sierra Leone	7.7m
103	Hong Kong	7.4m
104	Laos	7.1m
105	Bulgaria	7.1m
106	Paraguay	7.0m
107	Lebanon	6.9m
108	Libya	6.7m
109	Nicaragua	6.5m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
94	Armenia	72.0
95	Libya	71.9
96	Bhutan	71.8
97	Bulgaria	71.8
98	Georgia	71.7
99	St Kitts & Nevis	71.7
100	Ukraine	71.6
101	Bahamas	71.6
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
32	Malaysia	1.79
33	El Salvador	1.79
34	Qatar	1.78
35	Bulgaria	1.78
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	1.78
37	Brunei	1.76
38	Dominican Rep.	2.25
39	Nicaragua	2.28
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
161	Singapore	36.5
162	Latvia	36.7
163=	Sweden	37.0
163=	Bulgaria	37.0
165	Denmark	37.1
166	Bosnia & Herzegovina	37.3
167	S. Korea	37.6
168	Estonia	37.9
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
121	Benin	2.3%
122	S. Korea	2.3%
123	Cameroon	2.2%
124	Bulgaria	2.2%
125	Kenya	2.2%
126	Angola	2.1%
127	Liberia	2.1%
128	Mali	2.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
38	Ireland	16.1%
39	Belize	16.1%
40	Azerbaijan	16.0%
41	Bulgaria	16.0%
42	Lebanon	15.6%
43	Equatorial Guinea	14.9%
44	Seychelles	14.6%
45	New Zealand	14.5%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#Bulgaria #bulgaria_human_rights #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
44	Liechtenstein	54.9
45	Dominica	57.3
46	Hungary	58.5
47	Bulgaria	58.6
48	Brazil	60.3
49	Romania	61.3
	Europe Avg	47.37
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Bulgaria does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Bulgaria comes in the best 20 in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₁₉. It does better than average in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₀, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₁, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₂ (but high for Europe), freethought₂₃, its average Freedom in the World rating, opposing gender inequality₂₄ (but bad for Europe), LGBT equality₂₅ (but low for Europe) and in supporting press freedom₂₆ (but low for Europe). But, things still need to improve in Bulgaria. Bulgaria does worse than average when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₇ and in eliminating modern slavery₂₈.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Bulgaria

5. Bulgaria's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #bulgaria #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to Europe (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
36	Serbia	82.2
37	Lithuania	82.2
38	Belarus	82.3
39	Bulgaria	83.5
40	Armenia	85.7
41	Latvia	87.8
42	Romania	88.0
43	Ukraine	92.2
44	Georgia	92.8
	Europe Avg	86.87
q=48.

Health (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
68	Serbia	82.2
69	Lithuania	82.2
70	Belarus	82.3
71	Bulgaria	83.5
72	Colombia	84.3
73	Seychelles	84.8
74	Russia	84.8
75	Armenia	85.7
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₀.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₀, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₀.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Bulgaria has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Bulgaria does better than average in its fertility rate₁₄, childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₁, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₂ (but bad for Europe), its immunizations take-up₃₃ (but low for Europe) and in its average life expectancy₁₁ (but bad for Europe). But, things could still be better. Bulgaria does worse than average in its suicide rate₃₄, its adolescent birth rate₃₅ (amongst the worst in Europe) and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₆. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to its smoking rate₃₇ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₈. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Bulgaria improved by +3.7yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Bulgaria has had a long-term consistent fertility rate, and is one of only 22 countries to vary by less than 1.0 each decade since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 2.31 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
94	Armenia	72.0
95	Libya	71.9
96	Bhutan	71.8
97	Bulgaria	71.8
98	Georgia	71.7
99	St Kitts & Nevis	71.7
100	Ukraine	71.6
101	Bahamas	71.6
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better38
Pos.		2016 Per Capita38
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
178=	Slovenia	12.6
178=	France	12.6
180	Romania	12.7
181=	Bulgaria	12.7
182	Latvia	12.9
183=	Luxembourg	13.0
183=	Ireland	13.0
185	Nigeria	13.4
	Europe Avg	10.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
32	Malaysia	1.79
33	El Salvador	1.79
34	Qatar	1.78
35	Bulgaria	1.78
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	1.78
37	Brunei	1.76
38	Dominican Rep.	2.25
39	Nicaragua	2.28
	Europe Avg	1.53
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better37
Pos.		Total %37
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
157	Croatia	37.0%
158	Indonesia	38.2%
159	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	38.8%
160	Bulgaria	39.5%
161	Serbia	39.6%
162	Papua New Guinea	39.7%
163	Kiribati	39.7%
164	Myanmar	44.4%
	Europe Avg	27.0%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

In the 2010s, Bulgaria was one of only 10 countries that had an average smoking rate of over 40% of the population.

Suicide Rate34
Pos.		2013 Per 100k34
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
61=	Germany	23.9
62	Cuba	24.5
63=	Romania	24.5
64	Bulgaria	25
65	Sweden	25.5
66	Slovakia	25.7
67	Czechia	28.3
68	Suriname	28.7
	Europe Avg	26.99
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
50	Ecuador	50
51	Israel	51
52	Slovakia	52
53	Bulgaria	53
54	Panama	54
55	Ukraine	55
56	S. Africa	56
57	Slovenia	57
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better36
Pos.		1976 %36
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
159	Jordan	41.0
160=	Lebanon	41.2
160=	Greece	41.2
162	Bulgaria	41.4
163=	USA	41.6
163=	Spain	41.6
165	Ukraine	42.2
166	Australia	42.4
	Europe Avg	38.2
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better39
Pos.		2022 %39
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
97	Colombia	23.9%
98	Mongolia	24.0%
99	Germany	24.2%
100	Bulgaria	24.2%
101	Algeria	24.2%
102	Kyrgyzstan	24.4%
103	Cyprus	25.1%
104	Guatemala	25.2%
	Europe Avg	25.9%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better35
Pos.		2022 Per 100035
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
104	Argentina	37.9
105	Dominica	37.9
106	Syria	38.1
107	Bulgaria	38.2
108	Kiribati	39.6
109	Azerbaijan	40.1
110	Pakistan	41.2
111	Barbados	41.9
	Europe Avg	11.4
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better33
Pos.		2015 Avg %33
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
86	Italy	93.8
87	Austria	93.8
88	Argentina	93.7
89	Bulgaria	93.7
90	Serbia	93.5
91	Egypt	93.4
92	Cape Verde	93.4
93	Burundi	93.3
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better31
Pos.		Total Per 100031
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
50	Qatar	7.95
51	Malaysia	8.13
52	Russia	8.36
53	Bulgaria	8.60
54	Uruguay	9.08
55	Sri Lanka	9.10
56	Costa Rica	9.40
57=	Saudi Arabia	9.46
	Europe Avg	6.30
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

6. Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #Bulgaria #bulgaria_and_the_environment #Bulgaria_environment #climate_change #deforestation #over-exploitation #the_environment

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
75	Cape Verde	75.6
76	Afghanistan	75.7
77	New Zealand	75.8
78	Bulgaria	75.8
79	Malawi	76.0
80	Benin	76.5
	Europe Avg	86.45
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

In terms of its responsibility towards the environment, Bulgaria comes 78th in the world. This is computed using 21 data sets. Bulgaria comes in the best 20 for its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₁. It does better than average in its score on the Green Future Index₄₂ (but bad for Europe) and in its environmental performance₄₃. But, things could still be better. Bulgaria does worse than average for the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₅ (still low for Europe) and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₆.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Bulgaria's Responsibility Towards The Environment

7. Bulgaria's Modernity and Learning

#angola #bulgaria #education #english #germany #intelligence #maths #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2020)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
26	Slovakia	42.9
27	Malta	45.9
28	Ukraine	47.7
29	Bulgaria	47.8
30	Croatia	47.8
31	Liechtenstein	48.8
32	Romania	51.0
33	Belarus	51.5
34	Cyprus	55.6
	Europe Avg	39.81
q=45.

Modernity & Learning (2020)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
40	Barbados	47.4
41	Palau	47.4
42	Ukraine	47.7
43	Bulgaria	47.8
44	Croatia	47.8
45	Liechtenstein	48.8
46	St Kitts & Nevis	48.8
47	Chile	48.8
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₈. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₈. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₉.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₀

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₈.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2951
2	Israel	4.1151
3	Japan	3.5851
	...
49=	Egypt	0.6852
50	Belarus	0.6752
51	Mali	0.6653
52	Bulgaria	0.6552
53	Ethiopia	0.6152
54	Latvia	0.6052
55=	Gabon	0.5854
55=	Argentina	0.5855
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better56
Pos.		201856
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
25	USA	95.6%
26	Norway	95.4%
27	S. Korea	95.2%
28	Bulgaria	95.1%
29	Lithuania	94.9%
30	Ukraine	94.6%
31	Tonga	93.7%
32	Japan	93.6%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better57
Pos.		2021 Years57
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
85	Sri Lanka	14.1
86	Brunei	14.0
87	Seychelles	13.9
88	Bulgaria	13.9
89	Bosnia & Herzegovina	13.8
90	Egypt	13.8
91	Indonesia	13.7
92	Swaziland	13.7
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
11	Switzerland	11
12	New Zealand	12
13	Latvia	13
14	Bulgaria	14
15	Iceland	15
16	Bosnia & Herzegovina	16
17	Sweden	17
18	Lithuania	18
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better58
Pos.		2015 Score58
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
42	Slovakia	1389
43	Greece	1376
44	Chile	1329
45	Bulgaria	1319
46=	Romania	1313
46=	Cyprus	1313
48	UAE	1298
49	Uruguay	1290
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better59
Pos.		2018 %59
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
19=	Russia	16
20	Australia	18
21=	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
23=	Norway	19
24	Netherlands	20
25=	Italy	21
25=	Belarus	21
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better60
Pos.		200660
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
44=	Romania	94
44=	Georgia	94
46	Argentina	93
47=	Bulgaria	93
48	Ireland	92
49=	Malaysia	92
49=	Greece	92
51	Brunei	91
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better61
Pos.		201661
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
78	Belarus	61%
79	St Vincent & Grenadines	60%
80	St Lucia	59%
81	Bulgaria	59%
82=	Turkey	58%
82=	Romania	58%
84	Venezuela	58%
85=	Seychelles	58%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better62
Pos.		2017 Ratio62
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
45	Argentina	1.4
46	Faroe Islands	1.4
47	Russia	1.3
48	Bulgaria	1.3
49	S. Korea	1.2
50	Dominican Rep.	1.1
51	Slovakia	0.8
52	Hong Kong	0.7
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better63
Pos.		202463
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
15	Lithuania	67.8%
16	Romania	67.8%
17	USA	67.5%
18	Bulgaria	66.3%
19	Belgium	66.1%
20=	Poland	66.0%
20=	S. Korea	66.0%
22	Ireland	65.9%
	Europe Avg	61.0%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

Bulgaria has very cheap entry-level internet (only Germany and Angola is cheaper)₆₄.

8. Bulgaria's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Europe (2020)65
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank65
1	Denmark	12.2
2	Netherlands	14.0
3	Norway	14.1
	...
29	Lithuania	57.0
30	Moldova	57.1
31=	Albania	61.3
32	Bulgaria	61.3
33	Serbia	62.4
34	Bosnia & Herzegovina	63.9
35	Greece	64.8
36	Kosovo	66.2
37	Belarus	72.6
	Europe Avg	48.48
q=44.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)65
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank65
1	Denmark	12.2
2	Netherlands	14.0
3	Norway	14.1
	...
51	Thailand	61.0
52=	Albania	61.3
52=	Mongolia	61.3
54	Bulgaria	61.3
55	Israel	61.6
56	Oman	61.8
57	Serbia	62.4
58	Bosnia & Herzegovina	63.9
	World Avg	76.86
q=178.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 28 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty in the 2020s (so far), Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better66
Pos.		2022 %66
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
52=	Colombia	42.0
52=	China	42.0
52=	Ecuador	42.0
55	Bulgaria	41.0
56=	Slovakia	41.0
56=	Germany	41.0
58	Nepal	40.0
59=	Malaysia	40.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better67
Pos.		2022 Points67
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
71	Bahrain	44.0
72	Senegal	43.0
73=	S. Africa	43.0
73=	Bulgaria	43.0
73=	Benin	43.0
73=	Ghana	43.0
77	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	42.0
78=	Vietnam	42.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better68
Pos.		2024 Score68
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
82	Venezuela	5.7
83	Indonesia	5.6
84	Algeria	5.6
85	Bulgaria	5.6
86	Macedonia	5.5
87	Armenia	5.5
88	Hong Kong	5.5
89=	Albania	5.4
	Europe Avg	6.37
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
36	Belize	36
37	Iceland	37
38	Croatia	38
39	Bulgaria	39
40	Marshall Islands	40
41	Malaysia	41
42	Namibia	42
43	St Vincent & Grenadines	43
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
36	Italy	36
37	Estonia	37
38	Cyprus	38
39	Bulgaria	39
40	Turkey	40
41	Marshall Islands	41
42	Malta	42
43	Morocco	43
	Europe Avg	42.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better69
Pos.		2023 Score69
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
27	Latvia	1.58
28	Sweden	1.63
29	Poland	1.63
30	Bulgaria	1.64
31=	Spain	1.65
31=	Romania	1.65
31=	Taiwan	1.65
34	Italy	1.66
	Europe Avg	1.70
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
66	Ghana	66
67	Sweden	67
68	Congo, (Brazzaville)	68
69	Bulgaria	69
70	Zimbabwe	70
71	Spain	71
72	USA	72
73	Cyprus	73
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better32
Pos.		2017 Rank32
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
29	USA	29
30	Singapore	30
31	Greece	31
32	Bulgaria	32
33	S. Korea	33
34	Mauritius	34
35	Bosnia & Herzegovina	35
36	Romania	36
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better70
Pos.		2019 Score70
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
36	Macedonia	0.30
37	Zambia	0.31
38	Djibouti	0.32
39	Bulgaria	0.37
40=	Albania	0.42
40=	Cyprus	0.42
42	Lithuania	0.46
43=	Sierra Leone	0.46
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better71
Pos.		Total %71
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
43	Turkey	0.87%
44	USA	0.87%
45	Australia	0.99%
46	Bulgaria	1.00%
47	Dominican Rep.	1.12%
48	Chile	1.12%
49	Japan	1.21%
50	Egypt	1.37%
	Europe Avg	1.20%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better72
Pos.		201972
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
46	Kuwait	5.90
47	Maldives	6.00
48=	Malaysia	6.10
48=	Bulgaria	6.10
50	Chile	6.30
51=	USA	6.30
51=	Romania	6.30
53	Saudi Arabia	6.40
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better73
Pos.		2023 %73
1	Slovakia	24.1%74
2	Slovenia	24.3%74
3	Belarus	24.4%75
	...
111=	El Salvador	38.8%76
111=	Gambia	38.8%75
111=	Laos	38.8%77
114	Bulgaria	39.0%74
115	Tuvalu	39.1%78
116	Suriname	39.2%76
117	Morocco	39.5%79
118	Micronesia	40.1%79
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)59
Pos.		Lower is better %59
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
19=	Russia	16
20	Australia	18
21=	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
23=	Norway	19
24	Netherlands	20
25=	Italy	21
25=	Belarus	21
27	Ireland	22
28=	Kazakhstan	22
28=	Spain	22
30	Slovakia	23
31=	Ukraine	23
32	Canada	27
33=	Uzbekistan	29
33=	Uruguay	29
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)80
Pos.		Higher is better %80
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
11=	UK	42
12	Cuba	40
13	Slovenia	35
14	Bulgaria	34
15	Hungary	32
16	Norway	31
17	S. Korea	30
18	Finland	28
19	Russia	27
20	Australia	25
21	Taiwan	24
22=	New Zealand	22
22=	Canada	22
24	Latvia	20
25=	Ukraine	20
25=	Mongolia	20
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₁:

	2010	2020
Christian	81.4%	79.5%
Muslim	9.98%	10.3%
Unaffiliated	8.41%	10%
Other	0.143%	0.137%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 89.8% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (34%). This is due to the so-called 'Census Effect', whereby many put down a religion for cultural reasons rather than because it reflects their beliefs. In highly Christian countries, as many as half of those who say they're a Christian lack any connection to a Church, and do not hold Christian beliefs (such as believing in God!).

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 90% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 19% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

• "Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Eastern Orthodox 59.4%, Muslim (Sunni) 7.4%, Muslim (Shia) 0.4%, other (including Catholic, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox, and Judaism) 1.7%, other (unknown) 27.4%, none 3.7% (2011 census)₈₂.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?