Bulgaria

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Bulgaria
Overview of the education system (EAG 2026)
  • In Bulgaria, the share of adults with tertiary attainment reaches 35.7% (OECD average : 42.7%), while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment stands at 51.3% (OECD average : 39.9%) and 13% of 25-64 year-olds reached below upper secondary education (OECD average : 17.9%).
  • Some 80.3% of children aged 3 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 81.5%), while 87.5% of children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 86%).
  • Government expenditure on educational institutions, before transfers, on primary to tertiary education equalled 2.9% of GDP in 2023 (OECD average : 4%), while private expenditure equalled 0.4% (OECD average : 0.6%).
  • In 2023, Bulgaria allocated an average of 8.6% of total government expenditure to education from primary to tertiary levels (OECD average : 9.8%), equivalent to 3.3% of GDP (OECD average : 4.2%).
  • Total expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student equalled 14332 equivalent USD for tertiary education in Bulgaria (OECD average : 22402 equivalent USD), while it added up to 8290 equivalent USD for primary education (OECD average : 13552 equivalent USD).
  • The unemployment rate among tertiary-educated young adults stands at 2.3% in 2025 (OECD average : 5%), while it is equal to 15.6% for 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education (OECD average : 13.9%).
  • Some 15% of all 18-24 year-olds were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2025 (OECD average : 14.1%), while 20.4% of 25-29 year-olds were NEET (OECD average : 16.3%).
  • On-site work varies with the level of education, while 5.9% of tertiary-educated workers sometimes or usually work from home in Bulgaria (OECD average : 42.5%), 1.2% of workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment did so (OECD average : 17.7%).
  • In Bulgaria, annual typical teaching hours were 414 hours in primary education (OECD average : 770 hours) and 444 hours in lower secondary education (OECD average : 710 hours).
  • Women represent 99.1% of pre-primary teaching staff in Bulgaria (OECD average : 95.9%) and 79.2% in lower secondary education (OECD average : 68.2%).
  • In Bulgaria, there are 97.1% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools (OECD average : 90.9%). However, 6.3% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary education left the profession through retirement or resignation in 2025 (OECD average : 6.4%).
    • | Education at a Glance 2026 (EAG 2026): OECD Indicators | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2026 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 |

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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Attainment by gender

    The share of 25-64 year-old men who attained a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (0.5 %, rank 31/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Bulgaria has one of the smallest shares of women among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education. (30.5 %, rank 31/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    In Bulgaria, the proportion of female new entrants in master's long first degree (LFD) programmes is relatively low. (59.5 %, rank 21/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the proportion of new entrants into doctorate's or equivalent programmes before the age of 30 is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (30.2 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    In agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary, the share of female new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in Bulgaria was among the smallest internationally. (30.2 %, rank 29/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of female new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in social sciences, journalism and information was among the smallest internationally. (60.7 %, rank 26/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female new entrants in doctoral programmes in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary was one of the smallest across countries. (48.7 %, rank 22/26 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female new entrants to doctoral programmes in services was one of the smallest across countries. (28.3 %, rank 21/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female new entrants in master’s programmes in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary was among the smallest in Bulgaria compared to other countries. (50.7 %, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of health and welfare is relatively small. (57 %, rank 25/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of natural sciences, mathematics ans statistics is relatively small. (38.5 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20.4 %, rank 27/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in health and welfare in Bulgaria is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (64.4 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering master's or equivalent programmes in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in Bulgaria is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (34.9 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering master's or equivalent programmes in education in Bulgaria is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (13.3 %, rank 27/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering master's or equivalent programmes in information and communication technologies in Bulgaria is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (63.7 %, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    Enrolment of students aged 15–19 in lower secondary programmes placed Bulgaria among the lowest internationally. (0.8 %, rank 38/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Enrolment of 6–14-year-olds in primary education placed Bulgaria among the lowest across countries. (41.4 %, rank 42/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of female students in lower secondary general programmes was among the smallest internationally. (48 %, rank 40/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of students enrolled in programmes providing full completion and access to tertiary education among all students enrolled in upper secondary vocational programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (33.6 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at all early childhood education level is comparatively low. (2.8 %, rank 34/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at pre-primary level is comparatively low. (2.8 %, rank 42/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in Bulgaria is relatively small. (10.4 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction in Bulgaria is relatively small. (10.9 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of tertiary graduates in STEM fields in Bulgaria was one of the lowest compared to other participating countries. (19.2 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively low. (2.3 %, rank 18/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is relatively low in Bulgaria. (31.6 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Bulgaria, the proportion of new entrants to doctoral programmes in STEM fields was among the lowest across countries. (26.7 %, rank 28/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is relatively low. (8.6 %, rank 28/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of new entrants in social sciences, journalism and information master's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.6 %, rank 28/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of new entrants in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics bachelor's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 29/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the proportion of new entrants in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics master's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.4 %, rank 31/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the proportion of new entrants in science, technology, engineering and mathematics master's programmes is especially low, compared to the other countries with other data. (18.3 %, rank 28/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of new entrants in health and welfare bachelor's programmes is relatively small, compared to other countries with available data. (7.6 %, rank 28/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    In Bulgaria, international or foreign students from Latin America and the Caribbean are least represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.2 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility by field of education

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of arts and humanities among all international or foreign tertiary students in Bulgaria is relatively low. (4.9 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of social sciences, journalism and information among all international or foreign tertiary students in Bulgaria is relatively low. (4.3 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of business, administration and law among all international or foreign tertiary students in Bulgaria is relatively low. (9.8 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics among all international or foreign tertiary students in Bulgaria is relatively low. (0.6 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction among all international or foreign tertiary students in Bulgaria is relatively low. (4.9 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.6 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of students enrolled in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics among all international or foreign students is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (9.8 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student

    Annual expenditure per student on research and development in tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (714 USD Equivalent, rank 31/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student on research and development for primary to tertiary education in Bulgaria is comparatively low. (147 USD Equivalent, rank 33/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Bulgaria reported an annual total expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student (primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education) comparatively low. (6531 USD Equivalent, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The total annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student on upper secondary vocational education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8775 USD Equivalent, rank 27/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Bulgaria, expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies. (3.4 %, rank 35/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Nature of expenditure

    In Bulgaria, the share of current expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (81.7 %, rank 21/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The number of hours per year primary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively low in Bulgaria. (414 Hours, rank 40/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The number of hours per year lower secondary teachers spend teaching general programmes in public institutions is comparatively low in Bulgaria. (444 Hours, rank 40/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The number of hours per year upper secondary teachers spend teaching general programmes in public institutions is comparatively low in Bulgaria. (490 Hours, rank 37/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, primary public schools have among the fewest instruction days per school year across OECD and partner countries with available data. (160 Days, rank 41/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, lower secondary public schools have among the fewest instruction days per school year across OECD and partner countries with available data. (165 Days, rank 40/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, upper secondary public schools have among the fewest instruction days per school year across OECD and partner countries with available data. (170 Days, rank 38/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of women among teaching staff in primary education is one of the largest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (94.2 %, rank 3/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in lower secondary education is one of the largest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (79.2 %, rank 5/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in upper secondary education is one of the largest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (75.1 %, rank 4/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the smallest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (36.8 %, rank 22/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of post secondary non-tertiary education teachers under 30 is one of the small among OECD and partner countries with available data (4.3 %, rank 19/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (35917 USD Equivalent, rank 38/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, an upper secondary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (35917 USD Equivalent, rank 38/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a pre-primary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (35917 USD Equivalent, rank 31/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a primary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (35917 USD Equivalent, rank 38/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Teacher shortages

    Between 2015 and 2024, Bulgaria reported a decrease in the number of students enrolled in education. (89 Index, rank 37/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Between 2015 and 2024, Bulgaria reported an increase in the number of full-time equivalent classroom teachers. (153 Index, rank 3/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The number of students per teacher in primary schools is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner countries with available data. (10.4 Ratio, rank 39/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff in post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low in Bulgaria. (1.8 Ratio, rank 23/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level in private institutions is especially low in Bulgaria. (5.8 Ratio, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level in independent private institutions is especially low in Bulgaria. (5.8 Ratio, rank 26/26 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the number of students per teacher in private upper secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.1 Ratio, rank 38/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the upper secondary level in independent private institutions is especially low in Bulgaria. (7.1 Ratio, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the number of students per teacher in all private secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.6 Ratio, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the secondary level in independent private institutions is especially low in Bulgaria. (6.6 Ratio, rank 27/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the number of students per teacher in private institutions at the tertiary level is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (12.8 Ratio, rank 30/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the student-teacher ratio for bachelor's, master's, doctoral or equivalent programmes in private institutions is among the lowest across participating countries. (12.8 Ratio, rank 27/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the student-teacher ratio for bachelor's, master's, doctoral or equivalent programmes in independent private institutions is among the lowest across participating countries. (12.8 Ratio, rank 20/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    Classes in private primary institutions are comparatively small in Bulgaria. (14 Students, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary private institutions are comparatively small in Bulgaria. (13 Students, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In independent private institutions at primary education level, the average class size is relatively small in Bulgaria among OECD and other partner countries with available data. (14 Students, rank 20/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In independent private institutions at lower secondary level, the average class size is relatively small in Bulgaria among OECD and partner countries with available data. (13 Students, rank 20/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively high across participating countries. (92.3 %, rank 1/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively low across participating countries. (47.5 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is relatively low in Bulgaria compared to other participating countries. (39.5 %, rank 36/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 35-44 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (54.3 %, rank 35/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 45-54 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (52.3 %, rank 37/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old women without upper secondary education is comparatively low across participating countries. (36.2 %, rank 35/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with below upper secondary education is relatively low in Bulgaria compared to other participating countries. (25.5 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low across surveyed countries. (2.3 %, rank 37/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low across surveyed countries. (1.1 %, rank 34/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low across surveyed countries. (1.4 %, rank 37/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (1.2 %, rank 32/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the lowest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (3.7 %, rank 34/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively low in Bulgaria. (2.8 %, rank 33/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-old with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively low in Bulgaria. (1.8 %, rank 33/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education is comparatively low across surveyed countries. (1.6 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education is comparatively low across surveyed countries. (1.3 %, rank 38/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is relatively low in Bulgaria compared to other participating countries. (2.4 %, rank 35/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old women with tertiary education is relatively low in Bulgaria compared to other participating countries. (2.2 %, rank 36/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low in Bulgaria compared to other participating countries. (3.6 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-old men with tertiary education is relatively low in Bulgaria compared to other participating countries. (1.2 %, rank 30/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low in Bulgaria compared to other participating countries. (2.1 %, rank 34/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-old women with tertiary education is relatively low in Bulgaria compared to other participating countries. (1 %, rank 32/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (3.4 %, rank 27/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (3.6 %, rank 28/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low in Bulgaria. (3.6 %, rank 31/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low in Bulgaria. (3.7 %, rank 31/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is high in Bulgaria. (53.2 %, rank 1/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (6.4 %, rank 37/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of women with tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Bulgaria is relatively low. (6.5 %, rank 32/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are unemployed NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Bulgaria is relatively low. (1.4 %, rank 38/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are unemployed NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Bulgaria is relatively low. (1.3 %, rank 36/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Social outcomes

    The share of employed adults aged 25-64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment who sometimes or usually work from home was among the lowest in Bulgaria compared with other countries with available data. (1.2 %, rank 32/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of employed adults aged 25-64 with tertiary attainment who sometimes or usually work from home was among the smallest across countries with available data. (5.9 %, rank 32/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of employed adults aged 25-64 with below upper secondary attainment who reported working overtime in their main job was among the lowest in Bulgaria compared with other countries with available data. (1.2 %, rank 29/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of employed adults aged 25-64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment reporting overtime work in their main job was among the smallest across countries with available data. (1 %, rank 31/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Among employed adults aged 25-64 with tertiary attainment, the share reporting overtime work in their main job in Bulgaria was among the lowest across countries with available data. (0.4 %, rank 32/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of adults aged 25-64 with below upper secondary attainment who kept worrying about work when not working some or most of the time was among the smallest across countries with available data. (13.3 %, rank 26/26 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Bulgaria, the share of adults aged 25-64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment who kept worrying about work when not working some or most of the time was among the smallest across countries with available data. (23 %, rank 23/26 , 2024) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Educational attainment remains at an all-time high in 2025 as more people obtain advanced qualifications. Across the OECD, 43% of working-age adults have a tertiary qualification, while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment is slightly lower at 39%.
    • On a similar note, the share of young adults without upper secondary attainment continues to decline across the OECD, standing at 12% in 2025. Therefore, while more young adults obtain a tertiary qualification, the share of individuals whose highest qualification is upper secondary with a vocational orientation is decreasing in almost all OECD countries. 
    • Regarding the share of young people being neither in employment nor in education or training, it stood at 14% as of 2025 across OECD countries. However, cross-country comparisons reveal a wide variety of trends, ranging from large falls in Croatia or Ireland to increases in Germany or Latvia.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 86% across the OECD in 2024. Participation in early childhood education increases with age and tends to be higher in countries with stronger institutional support for participation.
    • 76.2% of students complete upper secondary programmes within the theoretical programme duration. This rises to 84.9% with two additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • In 2023, OECD countries allocated an average of 9.8% of total government expenditure to education, equivalent to 4.2% of GDP.
    • Total expenditure on education tends to rise with the level of education. In primary education, expenditure per student was USD 13 552 in 2023 on average across the OECD. This amount rises to USD 14 923 in secondary education and to USD 22 402 in tertiary education.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education. However, as a whole most investment in education comes from public sources. On average, across the OECD, government expenditure on primary to tertiary education corresponded to 4% of GDP in 2023, while private expenditure corresponded to 0.6%. Both of these figures are measured as initial source of funds, which implies that we are tracking the original provider.
    • Research and development represents around one-third of total expenditure across the OECD on tertiary educational institutions, underlining their dual role in both teaching and research. On average across the OECD, in 2023, USD 8 060 were invested annually into research and development for every student enrolled in tertiary education.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
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    • Compulsory teaching time averages 770 hours per year for primary students and 710 hours for lower secondary students (general programmes), a difference of about 60 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, across OECD countries and economies, the salaries of teachers with the most prevalent qualifications with 15 years of experience range from USD 60 437 at pre-primary level to USD 68 928 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries at primary and general secondary levels of education are 87-95% of the average earnings of tertiary-educated workers across OECD countries. School heads' actual salaries are usually higher than those of tertiary-educated workers.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Learning environment | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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    • On average across OECD countries, 9.1% of teachers in primary and secondary education are non-fully qualified, with shares exceeding 18% in Chile, Denmark, Estonia and Germany.
    • Furthermore, the share of fully qualified teachers leaving the profession in primary and secondary schools stands at 6.4% of the total teaching workforce.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Regarding job satisfaction among teachers, participating countries show wide differences. Japan, Spain and Czechia reported that teachers tend to be much more satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults. On the other hand, teachers in Hungary, Chile or Latvia tend to be less satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teacher working conditions | Education policies: Teacher employment | 
    
                            
    
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            Diagram of funding flows - Bulgaria
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
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            Country Reviews for Bulgaria
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			
            Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. 
			However, OECD averages from Education at a Glance coming from the OECD database are the averages for the indicator reference year appearing in the Education GPS and may differ from averages in the book where averages can include data from multiple reference years, based on countries' data availability.
			

    
			To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026 in the Northern Hemisphere.
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Sources Methodologies and Technical Notes 
		of EAG 2025 for more details about the data collections.
		

    
        For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.