Installed solar energy capacity in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Installed solar energy capacity was 5.91 gigawatts in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Installed solar energy capacity in Bulgaria, 2007–2025
Source: IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in gigawatts.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 5.91 gigawatts for installed solar energy capacity in 2025. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.
That represents a change of up 29.6% on the previous year and up 475.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, installed solar energy capacity in Bulgaria peaked at 5.91 gigawatts in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 gigawatts, in 2007.
That places Bulgaria 33rd out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Installed solar energy capacity in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | gigawatts | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 0 gigawatts | — |
| 2008 | 0.0001 gigawatts | +233.3% |
| 2009 | 0.002 gigawatts | +1900.0% |
| 2010 | 0.025 gigawatts | +1150.0% |
| 2011 | 0.154 gigawatts | +516.0% |
| 2012 | 0.922 gigawatts | +498.7% |
| 2013 | 1.04 gigawatts | +12.6% |
| 2014 | 1.03 gigawatts | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 1.03 gigawatts | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.03 gigawatts | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 1.03 gigawatts | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 1.03 gigawatts | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 1.04 gigawatts | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 1.1 gigawatts | +5.3% |
| 2021 | 1.27 gigawatts | +15.9% |
| 2022 | 1.74 gigawatts | +36.2% |
| 2023 | 2.93 gigawatts | +68.6% |
| 2024 | 4.56 gigawatts | +55.8% |
| 2025 | 5.91 gigawatts | +29.6% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 5.91 gigawatts is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.01 gigawatts, 5.9× the median. (76 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 5.91 gigawatts is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.57 gigawatts, 3.8× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Installed solar energy capacity in Bulgaria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +1900.0% | 0.0001 gigawatts | 0.002 gigawatts |
| 2010 | +1150.0% | 0.002 gigawatts | 0.025 gigawatts |
| 2011 | +516.0% | 0.025 gigawatts | 0.154 gigawatts |
| 2012 | +498.7% | 0.154 gigawatts | 0.922 gigawatts |
| 2008 | +233.3% | 0 gigawatts | 0.0001 gigawatts |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.0007 gigawatts | 0 gigawatts | 0.002 gigawatts | 3 |
| 2010s | 0.8334 gigawatts | 0.025 gigawatts | 1.04 gigawatts | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.92 gigawatts | 1.1 gigawatts | 5.91 gigawatts | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
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 installed solar energy capacity in Bulgaria?
- Installed solar energy capacity in Bulgaria was 5.91 gigawatts in 2025, according to IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 5.91 gigawatts in 2025.
- What is the lowest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 gigawatts in 2007.
- How does Bulgaria rank for installed solar energy capacity?
- Bulgaria ranks 33rd out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is installed solar energy capacity rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 475.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Installed solar energy capacity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total solar (on- and off-grid) electricity installed capacity, measured in gigawatts. This includes solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power.