Human Rights Index in Bulgaria

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

0.20.40.60.81178919072025

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 54 Slovakia 0.857 compare
  2. 54 Solomon Islands 0.857 compare
  3. 54 South Africa 0.857 compare
  4. 58 Guyana 0.847 compare
  5. 59 Botswana 0.845 compare
  6. 60 United Kingdom 0.844 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Bulgaria

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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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

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.