Energy intensity in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Energy intensity was 1.63 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
1.63 kilowatt-hours per dollar
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
30th
of 166 countries
All-time high
4.14 kilowatt-hours per dollar
in 1996
All-time low
1.56 kilowatt-hours per dollar
in 2020
Years of data
58
1965–2022
Energy intensity in Bulgaria, 1965–2022
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per dollar.
Analysis
The most recent figure for energy intensity in Bulgaria is 1.63 kilowatt-hours per dollar, measured in 2022.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy intensity in Bulgaria peaked at 4.14 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1996 and was at its lowest, 1.56 kilowatt-hours per dollar, in 2020.
That places Bulgaria 30th out of 166 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 58 years of available data.
Energy intensity in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per dollar | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 2.3 kilowatt-hours per dollar | — |
| 1966 | 2.3 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 2.54 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +10.7% |
| 1968 | 2.82 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +11.0% |
| 1969 | 2.99 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +5.8% |
| 1970 | 3.18 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +6.4% |
| 1971 | 3.2 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 3.15 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.6% |
| 1973 | 3.14 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 3.15 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 3.22 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 3.31 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 3.51 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +6.2% |
| 1978 | 3.58 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 3.57 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 3.87 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +8.5% |
| 1981 | 3.72 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.8% |
| 1982 | 3.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 3.81 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 3.67 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.7% |
| 1985 | 3.77 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 3.75 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 3.77 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 3.89 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.2% |
| 1989 | 3.92 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 4.08 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +4.3% |
| 1991 | 3.57 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -12.5% |
| 1992 | 3.62 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 3.91 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +8.2% |
| 1994 | 3.7 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -5.5% |
| 1995 | 3.83 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 4.14 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +8.2% |
| 1997 | 3.93 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -5.1% |
| 1998 | 3.61 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -8.1% |
| 1999 | 3.35 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -7.1% |
| 2000 | 3.19 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 3.27 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 2.97 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -9.2% |
| 2003 | 2.88 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 2.6 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -9.7% |
| 2005 | 2.6 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 2.48 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.8% |
| 2007 | 2.23 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -10.0% |
| 2008 | 2.08 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -6.9% |
| 2009 | 1.87 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -9.9% |
| 2010 | 1.9 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 2.05 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +7.9% |
| 2012 | 1.91 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -6.7% |
| 2013 | 1.75 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 1.86 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +6.2% |
| 2015 | 1.9 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 1.77 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -6.5% |
| 2017 | 1.78 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 1.72 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 1.62 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -5.4% |
| 2020 | 1.56 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 1.62 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 1.63 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.4% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 1.63 kilowatt-hours per dollar is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.01 kilowatt-hours per dollar, 1.6× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 1.63 kilowatt-hours per dollar is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.9732 kilowatt-hours per dollar, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.59 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.3 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.99 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 5 |
| 1970s | 3.3 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3.14 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3.58 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.79 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3.67 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3.92 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.77 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3.35 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 4.14 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.62 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.87 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3.27 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.83 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.62 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.05 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.61 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.56 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.63 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 27 Jamaica 1.67 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 28 Kyrgyzstan 1.67 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 29 United Arab Emirates 1.66 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 31 Moldova 1.61 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 32 Kazakhstan 1.58 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 33 Estonia 1.53 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
More energy & mining data for Bulgaria
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 2.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 12.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy intensity in Bulgaria?
- Energy intensity in Bulgaria was 1.63 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2022, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy intensity recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 4.14 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1996.
- What is the lowest energy intensity recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.56 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2020.
- How does Bulgaria rank for energy intensity?
- Bulgaria ranks 30th out of 166 countries with data for 2022.
- Is energy intensity rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Energy intensity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 58 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours of total energy supply per international-$ of GDP.