What is freedom of association index in Bulgaria?

Freedom of association index in Bulgaria was 0.833 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest freedom of association index recorded in Bulgaria?

The highest recorded value was 0.848 in 2022.

What is the lowest freedom of association index recorded in Bulgaria?

The lowest recorded value was 0.047 in 1951.

How does Bulgaria rank for freedom of association index?

Bulgaria ranks 64th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of association index rising or falling in Bulgaria?

Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Bulgaria data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom of Association Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Freedom of Association Index in Bulgaria

Name: Freedom of Association Index in Bulgaria
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Bulgaria: Freedom of Association Index was 0.833 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.833

Change on year

up 0.1%

World rank

64th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.848

in 2022

All-time low

0.047

in 1951

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Freedom of Association Index in Bulgaria, 1789–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, freedom of association index in Bulgaria stood at 0.833.

That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of association index in Bulgaria peaked at 0.848 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.047, in 1951.

Bulgaria ranks 64th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Freedom of Association Index in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Association Index in Bulgaria, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.072	—
1790	0.072	+0.0%
1791	0.072	+0.0%
1792	0.072	+0.0%
1793	0.072	+0.0%
1794	0.072	+0.0%
1795	0.072	+0.0%
1796	0.072	+0.0%
1797	0.072	+0.0%
1798	0.072	+0.0%
1799	0.072	+0.0%
1800	0.072	+0.0%
1801	0.072	+0.0%
1802	0.072	+0.0%
1803	0.072	+0.0%
1804	0.072	+0.0%
1805	0.072	+0.0%
1806	0.072	+0.0%
1807	0.072	+0.0%
1808	0.072	+0.0%
1809	0.072	+0.0%
1810	0.072	+0.0%
1811	0.072	+0.0%
1812	0.072	+0.0%
1813	0.072	+0.0%
1814	0.072	+0.0%
1815	0.072	+0.0%
1816	0.072	+0.0%
1817	0.072	+0.0%
1818	0.072	+0.0%
1819	0.072	+0.0%
1820	0.072	+0.0%
1821	0.072	+0.0%
1822	0.072	+0.0%
1823	0.072	+0.0%
1824	0.072	+0.0%
1825	0.072	+0.0%
1826	0.072	+0.0%
1827	0.072	+0.0%
1828	0.072	+0.0%
1829	0.072	+0.0%
1830	0.072	+0.0%
1831	0.072	+0.0%
1832	0.072	+0.0%
1833	0.072	+0.0%
1834	0.072	+0.0%
1835	0.072	+0.0%
1836	0.072	+0.0%
1837	0.072	+0.0%
1838	0.072	+0.0%
1839	0.072	+0.0%
1840	0.063	-12.5%
1841	0.063	+0.0%
1842	0.063	+0.0%
1843	0.063	+0.0%
1844	0.063	+0.0%
1845	0.063	+0.0%
1846	0.063	+0.0%
1847	0.063	+0.0%
1848	0.063	+0.0%
1849	0.063	+0.0%
1850	0.063	+0.0%
1851	0.063	+0.0%
1852	0.063	+0.0%
1853	0.063	+0.0%
1854	0.063	+0.0%
1855	0.063	+0.0%
1856	0.063	+0.0%
1857	0.063	+0.0%
1858	0.063	+0.0%
1859	0.063	+0.0%
1860	0.063	+0.0%
1861	0.063	+0.0%
1862	0.063	+0.0%
1863	0.063	+0.0%
1864	0.063	+0.0%
1865	0.056	-11.1%
1866	0.056	+0.0%
1867	0.056	+0.0%
1868	0.056	+0.0%
1869	0.056	+0.0%
1870	0.056	+0.0%
1871	0.056	+0.0%
1872	0.056	+0.0%
1873	0.056	+0.0%
1874	0.056	+0.0%
1875	0.056	+0.0%
1876	0.457	+716.1%
1877	0.048	-89.5%
1878	0.274	+470.8%
1879	0.67	+144.5%
1880	0.67	+0.0%
1881	0.507	-24.3%
1882	0.476	-6.1%
1883	0.479	+0.6%
1884	0.64	+33.6%
1885	0.663	+3.6%
1886	0.547	-17.5%
1887	0.537	-1.8%
1888	0.5	-6.9%
1889	0.5	+0.0%
1890	0.5	+0.0%
1891	0.502	+0.4%
1892	0.502	+0.0%
1893	0.499	-0.6%
1894	0.513	+2.8%
1895	0.667	+30.0%
1896	0.667	+0.0%
1897	0.667	+0.0%
1898	0.667	+0.0%
1899	0.67	+0.4%
1900	0.659	-1.6%
1901	0.647	-1.8%
1902	0.641	-0.9%
1903	0.64	-0.2%
1904	0.637	-0.5%
1905	0.637	+0.0%
1906	0.643	+0.9%
1907	0.643	+0.0%
1908	0.647	+0.6%
1909	0.649	+0.3%
1910	0.649	+0.0%
1911	0.651	+0.3%
1912	0.653	+0.3%
1913	0.639	-2.1%
1914	0.628	-1.7%
1915	0.628	+0.0%
1916	0.628	+0.0%
1917	0.628	+0.0%
1918	0.628	+0.0%
1919	0.626	-0.3%
1920	0.637	+1.8%
1921	0.637	+0.0%
1922	0.637	+0.0%
1923	0.516	-19.0%
1924	0.483	-6.4%
1925	0.47	-2.7%
1926	0.462	-1.7%
1927	0.458	-0.9%
1928	0.456	-0.4%
1929	0.456	+0.0%
1930	0.456	+0.0%
1931	0.482	+5.7%
1932	0.505	+4.8%
1933	0.505	+0.0%
1934	0.2	-60.4%
1935	0.158	-21.0%
1936	0.158	+0.0%
1937	0.158	+0.0%
1938	0.186	+17.7%
1939	0.235	+26.3%
1940	0.236	+0.4%
1941	0.236	+0.0%
1942	0.236	+0.0%
1943	0.237	+0.4%
1944	0.272	+14.8%
1945	0.22	-19.1%
1946	0.26	+18.2%
1947	0.087	-66.5%
1948	0.074	-14.9%
1949	0.073	-1.4%
1950	0.059	-19.2%
1951	0.047	-20.3%
1952	0.047	+0.0%
1953	0.047	+0.0%
1954	0.049	+4.3%
1955	0.049	+0.0%
1956	0.053	+8.2%
1957	0.055	+3.8%
1958	0.056	+1.8%
1959	0.056	+0.0%
1960	0.056	+0.0%
1961	0.056	+0.0%
1962	0.055	-1.8%
1963	0.055	+0.0%
1964	0.055	+0.0%
1965	0.055	+0.0%
1966	0.055	+0.0%
1967	0.055	+0.0%
1968	0.055	+0.0%
1969	0.055	+0.0%
1970	0.056	+1.8%
1971	0.057	+1.8%
1972	0.058	+1.8%
1973	0.058	+0.0%
1974	0.058	+0.0%
1975	0.069	+19.0%
1976	0.071	+2.9%
1977	0.071	+0.0%
1978	0.071	+0.0%
1979	0.071	+0.0%
1980	0.071	+0.0%
1981	0.071	+0.0%
1982	0.07	-1.4%
1983	0.07	+0.0%
1984	0.07	+0.0%
1985	0.074	+5.7%
1986	0.073	-1.4%
1987	0.077	+5.5%
1988	0.077	+0.0%
1989	0.077	+0.0%
1990	0.787	+922.1%
1991	0.825	+4.8%
1992	0.84	+1.8%
1993	0.84	+0.0%
1994	0.84	+0.0%
1995	0.838	-0.2%
1996	0.839	+0.1%
1997	0.842	+0.4%
1998	0.842	+0.0%
1999	0.842	+0.0%
2000	0.842	+0.0%
2001	0.794	-5.7%
2002	0.845	+6.4%
2003	0.845	+0.0%
2004	0.845	+0.0%
2005	0.827	-2.1%
2006	0.828	+0.1%
2007	0.825	-0.4%
2008	0.825	+0.0%
2009	0.838	+1.6%
2010	0.841	+0.4%
2011	0.842	+0.1%
2012	0.845	+0.4%
2013	0.826	-2.2%
2014	0.834	+1.0%
2015	0.81	-2.9%
2016	0.81	+0.0%
2017	0.808	-0.2%
2018	0.805	-0.4%
2019	0.81	+0.6%
2020	0.818	+1.0%
2021	0.845	+3.3%
2022	0.848	+0.4%
2023	0.83	-2.1%
2024	0.832	+0.2%
2025	0.833	+0.1%

Bulgaria compared with similar countries

Bulgaria's 0.833 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.868, 96% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
Bulgaria's 0.833 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.8555, 97% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.072	0.072	0.072	1
1790s	0.072	0.072	0.072	10
1800s	0.072	0.072	0.072	10
1810s	0.072	0.072	0.072	10
1820s	0.072	0.072	0.072	10
1830s	0.072	0.072	0.072	10
1840s	0.063	0.063	0.063	10
1850s	0.063	0.063	0.063	10
1860s	0.0595	0.056	0.063	10
1870s	0.1785	0.048	0.67	10
1880s	0.5519	0.476	0.67	10
1890s	0.5854	0.499	0.67	10
1900s	0.6443	0.637	0.659	10
1910s	0.6358	0.626	0.653	10
1920s	0.5212	0.456	0.637	10
1930s	0.3043	0.158	0.505	10
1940s	0.1931	0.073	0.272	10
1950s	0.0518	0.047	0.059	10
1960s	0.0552	0.055	0.056	10
1970s	0.064	0.056	0.071	10
1980s	0.073	0.07	0.077	10
1990s	0.8335	0.787	0.842	10
2000s	0.8314	0.794	0.845	10
2010s	0.8231	0.805	0.845	10
2020s	0.8343	0.818	0.848	6

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

62 Sierra Leone 0.837 compare
63 Guatemala 0.834 compare
64 Seychelles 0.833 compare
66 Vanuatu 0.829 compare
67 Croatia 0.821 compare
67 Guyana 0.821 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Bulgaria

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 105,596 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 533 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 533 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0164 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of association index in Bulgaria?: Freedom of association index in Bulgaria was 0.833 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of association index recorded in Bulgaria?: The highest recorded value was 0.848 in 2022.
What is the lowest freedom of association index recorded in Bulgaria?: The lowest recorded value was 0.047 in 1951.
How does Bulgaria rank for freedom of association index?: Bulgaria ranks 64th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of association index rising or falling in Bulgaria?: Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom of Association Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Freedom of Association Index in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 October 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-association-index/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator: Freedom of Association Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,011 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which parties, including opposition parties, are allowed to form and participate in elections and the extent to which civil society organizations are allowed to form and operate freely.