Bulgaria vs Romania

Every indicator for Bulgaria and Romania side by side, with the percentage gap between them. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

Indicator comparison
IndicatorBulgariaRomaniaDifference
Population (2025) (people)6,433,30219,020,271−66.2%
GDP (nominal) (billion $)131429−69.5%
GDP per capita ($)20,32822,538−9.8%
Life expectancy (years)75.876.5
Area (km²)110,997238,400−53.4%
Population density (people/km²)5880−27.4%
Median age (years)46.043.5
Internet usage (%)82.491.3
Unemployment rate (%)3.56.0
Inflation (%)4.67.2
Urban population (%)74.252.2
Military expenditure (2024) (million $)2,3308,716−73.3%
Military expenditure as a share of GDP (%)2.152.30−6.5%
Military expenditure as a share of government spending (%)5.495.85−6.2%
Military expenditure per capita ($)362458−21.0%
Armed forces personnel (2020) (people)37,000128,000−71.1%
Armed forces per 1,000 people (people)5.86.7−14.5%
Armed forces as a share of the labor force (%)1.181.52−22.4%

The difference column shows the percentage gap of Bulgaria relative to Romania; a positive value favors Bulgaria. Interpret it in context — for unemployment, a lower value is better.

Key differences

  • On population (2025), Bulgaria is 66.2% lower than Romania.
  • On gdp (nominal), Bulgaria is 69.5% lower than Romania.
  • On gdp per capita, Bulgaria is 9.8% lower than Romania.
Bulgaria and Romania — core indicators
05 mn10 mn15 mn20 mnPopulation (2025)GDP (nominal)GDP per capitaAreaPopulation (2025) — Bulgaria: 6.433.302GDP (nominal) — Bulgaria: 131GDP per capita — Bulgaria: 20.328Area — Bulgaria: 110.997Population (2025) — Romania: 19.020.271GDP (nominal) — Romania: 429GDP per capita — Romania: 22.538Area — Romania: 238.400
BulgariaRomania

The indicators use different scales, so the chart is a rough visual comparison only; use the table for exact figures.

Other comparisons involving Bulgaria or Romania.

Data sourcesUN World Population Prospects, IMF, World Bank, SIPRI