What is human rights index in Bulgaria?

Human rights index in Bulgaria was 0.849 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest human rights index recorded in Bulgaria?

The highest recorded value was 0.903 in 2008.

What is the lowest human rights index recorded in Bulgaria?

The lowest recorded value was 0.13 in 1949.

How does Bulgaria rank for human rights index?

Bulgaria ranks 57th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is human rights index rising or falling in Bulgaria?

Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. 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 Human Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Human Rights Index in Bulgaria

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

Bulgaria: Human Rights Index was 0.849 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.849

Change on year

down 3.0%

World rank

57th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.903

in 2008

All-time low

0.13

in 1949

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Human Rights Index in Bulgaria, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, human rights index in Bulgaria stood at 0.849.

The figure is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, human rights index in Bulgaria peaked at 0.903 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.13, in 1949.

Bulgaria ranks 57th 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.

Human Rights Index in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Human Rights Index in Bulgaria, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.176	—
1790	0.176	+0.0%
1791	0.176	+0.0%
1792	0.176	+0.0%
1793	0.176	+0.0%
1794	0.176	+0.0%
1795	0.176	+0.0%
1796	0.176	+0.0%
1797	0.176	+0.0%
1798	0.176	+0.0%
1799	0.176	+0.0%
1800	0.176	+0.0%
1801	0.176	+0.0%
1802	0.176	+0.0%
1803	0.176	+0.0%
1804	0.176	+0.0%
1805	0.176	+0.0%
1806	0.176	+0.0%
1807	0.176	+0.0%
1808	0.174	-1.1%
1809	0.168	-3.4%
1810	0.168	+0.0%
1811	0.168	+0.0%
1812	0.168	+0.0%
1813	0.168	+0.0%
1814	0.168	+0.0%
1815	0.168	+0.0%
1816	0.168	+0.0%
1817	0.168	+0.0%
1818	0.168	+0.0%
1819	0.168	+0.0%
1820	0.168	+0.0%
1821	0.168	+0.0%
1822	0.168	+0.0%
1823	0.168	+0.0%
1824	0.168	+0.0%
1825	0.168	+0.0%
1826	0.168	+0.0%
1827	0.168	+0.0%
1828	0.168	+0.0%
1829	0.168	+0.0%
1830	0.173	+3.0%
1831	0.173	+0.0%
1832	0.173	+0.0%
1833	0.173	+0.0%
1834	0.173	+0.0%
1835	0.173	+0.0%
1836	0.173	+0.0%
1837	0.173	+0.0%
1838	0.173	+0.0%
1839	0.294	+69.9%
1840	0.317	+7.8%
1841	0.317	+0.0%
1842	0.317	+0.0%
1843	0.317	+0.0%
1844	0.317	+0.0%
1845	0.317	+0.0%
1846	0.317	+0.0%
1847	0.317	+0.0%
1848	0.317	+0.0%
1849	0.317	+0.0%
1850	0.317	+0.0%
1851	0.317	+0.0%
1852	0.317	+0.0%
1853	0.317	+0.0%
1854	0.317	+0.0%
1855	0.317	+0.0%
1856	0.317	+0.0%
1857	0.325	+2.5%
1858	0.326	+0.3%
1859	0.326	+0.0%
1860	0.349	+7.1%
1861	0.349	+0.0%
1862	0.349	+0.0%
1863	0.349	+0.0%
1864	0.349	+0.0%
1865	0.342	-2.0%
1866	0.342	+0.0%
1867	0.345	+0.9%
1868	0.345	+0.0%
1869	0.345	+0.0%
1870	0.345	+0.0%
1871	0.345	+0.0%
1872	0.345	+0.0%
1873	0.345	+0.0%
1874	0.345	+0.0%
1875	0.345	+0.0%
1876	0.371	+7.5%
1877	0.21	-43.4%
1878	0.583	+177.6%
1879	0.627	+7.5%
1880	0.627	+0.0%
1881	0.377	-39.9%
1882	0.377	+0.0%
1883	0.377	+0.0%
1884	0.407	+8.0%
1885	0.407	+0.0%
1886	0.367	-9.8%
1887	0.353	-3.8%
1888	0.353	+0.0%
1889	0.353	+0.0%
1890	0.353	+0.0%
1891	0.353	+0.0%
1892	0.353	+0.0%
1893	0.353	+0.0%
1894	0.327	-7.4%
1895	0.596	+82.3%
1896	0.596	+0.0%
1897	0.596	+0.0%
1898	0.596	+0.0%
1899	0.596	+0.0%
1900	0.594	-0.3%
1901	0.598	+0.7%
1902	0.598	+0.0%
1903	0.598	+0.0%
1904	0.594	-0.7%
1905	0.594	+0.0%
1906	0.596	+0.3%
1907	0.596	+0.0%
1908	0.596	+0.0%
1909	0.592	-0.7%
1910	0.592	+0.0%
1911	0.592	+0.0%
1912	0.572	-3.4%
1913	0.562	-1.7%
1914	0.565	+0.5%
1915	0.56	-0.9%
1916	0.559	-0.2%
1917	0.559	+0.0%
1918	0.559	+0.0%
1919	0.562	+0.5%
1920	0.562	+0.0%
1921	0.558	-0.7%
1922	0.558	+0.0%
1923	0.488	-12.5%
1924	0.471	-3.5%
1925	0.462	-1.9%
1926	0.521	+12.8%
1927	0.521	+0.0%
1928	0.524	+0.6%
1929	0.524	+0.0%
1930	0.526	+0.4%
1931	0.538	+2.3%
1932	0.538	+0.0%
1933	0.535	-0.6%
1934	0.39	-27.1%
1935	0.388	-0.5%
1936	0.388	+0.0%
1937	0.388	+0.0%
1938	0.388	+0.0%
1939	0.386	-0.5%
1940	0.384	-0.5%
1941	0.363	-5.5%
1942	0.349	-3.9%
1943	0.346	-0.9%
1944	0.334	-3.5%
1945	0.212	-36.5%
1946	0.226	+6.6%
1947	0.151	-33.2%
1948	0.133	-11.9%
1949	0.13	-2.3%
1950	0.144	+10.8%
1951	0.142	-1.4%
1952	0.142	+0.0%
1953	0.144	+1.4%
1954	0.144	+0.0%
1955	0.142	-1.4%
1956	0.154	+8.5%
1957	0.156	+1.3%
1958	0.156	+0.0%
1959	0.156	+0.0%
1960	0.161	+3.2%
1961	0.159	-1.2%
1962	0.159	+0.0%
1963	0.159	+0.0%
1964	0.159	+0.0%
1965	0.165	+3.8%
1966	0.165	+0.0%
1967	0.165	+0.0%
1968	0.165	+0.0%
1969	0.165	+0.0%
1970	0.17	+3.0%
1971	0.171	+0.6%
1972	0.171	+0.0%
1973	0.171	+0.0%
1974	0.171	+0.0%
1975	0.176	+2.9%
1976	0.176	+0.0%
1977	0.176	+0.0%
1978	0.176	+0.0%
1979	0.176	+0.0%
1980	0.186	+5.7%
1981	0.186	+0.0%
1982	0.186	+0.0%
1983	0.186	+0.0%
1984	0.19	+2.2%
1985	0.192	+1.1%
1986	0.192	+0.0%
1987	0.192	+0.0%
1988	0.192	+0.0%
1989	0.2	+4.2%
1990	0.853	+326.5%
1991	0.871	+2.1%
1992	0.885	+1.6%
1993	0.877	-0.9%
1994	0.878	+0.1%
1995	0.877	-0.1%
1996	0.878	+0.1%
1997	0.88	+0.2%
1998	0.875	-0.6%
1999	0.881	+0.7%
2000	0.893	+1.4%
2001	0.889	-0.4%
2002	0.898	+1.0%
2003	0.898	+0.0%
2004	0.899	+0.1%
2005	0.897	-0.2%
2006	0.897	+0.0%
2007	0.896	-0.1%
2008	0.903	+0.8%
2009	0.896	-0.8%
2010	0.898	+0.2%
2011	0.891	-0.8%
2012	0.879	-1.3%
2013	0.861	-2.0%
2014	0.871	+1.2%
2015	0.859	-1.4%
2016	0.852	-0.8%
2017	0.846	-0.7%
2018	0.842	-0.5%
2019	0.845	+0.4%
2020	0.847	+0.2%
2021	0.861	+1.7%
2022	0.896	+4.1%
2023	0.885	-1.2%
2024	0.875	-1.1%
2025	0.849	-3.0%

Bulgaria compared with similar countries

Bulgaria's 0.849 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.906, 94% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
Bulgaria's 0.849 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.8795, 97% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.176	0.176	0.176	1
1790s	0.176	0.176	0.176	10
1800s	0.175	0.168	0.176	10
1810s	0.168	0.168	0.168	10
1820s	0.168	0.168	0.168	10
1830s	0.1851	0.173	0.294	10
1840s	0.317	0.317	0.317	10
1850s	0.3196	0.317	0.326	10
1860s	0.3464	0.342	0.349	10
1870s	0.3861	0.21	0.627	10
1880s	0.3998	0.353	0.627	10
1890s	0.4719	0.327	0.596	10
1900s	0.5956	0.592	0.598	10
1910s	0.5682	0.559	0.592	10
1920s	0.5189	0.462	0.562	10
1930s	0.4465	0.386	0.538	10
1940s	0.2628	0.13	0.384	10
1950s	0.148	0.142	0.156	10
1960s	0.1622	0.159	0.165	10
1970s	0.1734	0.17	0.176	10
1980s	0.1902	0.186	0.2	10
1990s	0.8755	0.853	0.885	10
2000s	0.8966	0.889	0.903	10
2010s	0.8644	0.842	0.898	10
2020s	0.8688	0.847	0.896	6

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

54 Slovakia 0.857 compare
54 Solomon Islands 0.857 compare
54 South Africa 0.857 compare
58 Guyana 0.847 compare
59 Botswana 0.845 compare
60 United Kingdom 0.844 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 human rights index in Bulgaria?: Human rights index in Bulgaria was 0.849 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest human rights index recorded in Bulgaria?: The highest recorded value was 0.903 in 2008.
What is the lowest human rights index recorded in Bulgaria?: The lowest recorded value was 0.13 in 1949.
How does Bulgaria rank for human rights index?: Bulgaria ranks 57th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is human rights index rising or falling in Bulgaria?: Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. 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 Human Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Human Rights Index in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/human-rights-index-vdem/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator: Human Rights Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,202 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people are free from government torture, political killings, and forced labor, they have property rights, and enjoy the freedoms of movement, religion, expression, and association.