Bulgaria Key Figures
- Population:
- 6.86 million
- GDP growth rate:
- 3.36 %/year
- Energy independence:
- 67.0%
Data of the last year available: 2022
- Total consumption/GDP:*
- 67.7 (2005=100)
- CO2 Emissions:
- 6.37 tCO2/capita
- Rate of T&D power losses:
- 7.50%
* at purchasing power parity
View all macro and energy indicators in the Bulgaria energy report
Bulgaria Related News
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Bulgaria Related Research
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Total Energy Consumption
Consumption per capita is 2.9 toe (10% lower than the EU average in 2021), with electricity accounting for about 4 600 kWh in 2022 (19% below the EU average in 2021).
Total energy consumption has been increasing since 2020, rebounding by 8.5% in 2021 and by 4.4% in 2022 to 19.9 Mtoe, after a 5% drop in 2020. It averaged 18 Mtoe between 2009 and 2020.
Interactive Chart Bulgaria Total Energy Consumption
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View the detailed fondamentals of the market at country level (graphs, tables, analysis) in the Bulgaria energy report
Crude Oil Production
Oil production is very limited (179 kt in 2022). Crude oil imports have ranged between 5 and 7 Mt/year since 2010, with a 29% fall in 2020, a 14% decrease in 2021, and a 69% rebound in 2022 to 7.2 Mt. Oil product imports have remained stable at around 2 Mt/year since 2010 (2.1 Mt in 2022). In 2022, 85% of crude oil imports came from Russia. Around 90% of oil product imports in 2022 came from three countries: Russia (53%), Romania (30%), and Greece (7%).
Interactive Chart Bulgaria Crude Oil Production
Benefit from up to 2 000 up-to-date data series for 186 countries in Global Energy & CO2 data
Additionally, for more detailed information on refineries, you can request a sample of our EMEA Refineries Dataset
Oil Products Consumption
Oil product consumption has rebounded since 2021 (over +4%/year in 2021 and 2022) after a 9.4% drop in 2020, almost catching up with its 2013-2019 growth rate (+5%/year).
Transport absorbs 66% of oil product consumption (2022), while industry accounts for 18% (including non-energy uses).
Graph: OIL CONSUMPTION (Mt)
Graph: OIL CONSUMPTION BREAKDOWN BY SECTOR (2022, %)
Interactive Chart Bulgaria Refined Oil Products Production
Benefit from up to 2 000 up-to-date data series for 186 countries in Global Energy & CO2 data
Additionally, for more detailed information on refineries, you can request a sample of our EMEA Refineries Dataset
Natural Gas Consumption
Since 2010, Bulgaria's gas consumption has averaged 3 bcm. It increased slightly in 2020 (+3%) and grew by 13% in 2021 to 3.4 bcm, but soaring gas prices contributed to a 20% fall in gas consumption in 2022 to 2.7 bcm.
Industry remains the largest gas consumer, with a share of 39%, including non-energy uses, followed by the power sector (31%) and households and services (8%); these shares have been stable since 2010.
Graph: NATURAL GAS CONSUMPTION (bcm)
Interactive Chart Bulgaria Natural Gas Domestic Consumption
Benefit from up to 2 000 up-to-date data series for 186 countries in Global Energy & CO2 data
Additionally, for more detailed information on the LNG trade, you can request a sample of our EMEA LNG Trade Dataset
Coal Consumption
The consumption of coal and lignite (mainly lignite), which contracted by 9%/year between 2017 and 2019 and by 20% in 2020, has been surging since 2021 (+25%/year on average) to over 36 Mt in 2022.
The power sector is the main consumer of coal and lignite (90% in 2020).
Graph: COAL CONSUMPTION (Mt)
Graph: COAL CONSUMPTION BREAKDOWN BY SECTOR (2022, %)
Interactive Chart Bulgaria Coal and Lignite Domestic Consumption
Benefit from up to 2 000 up-to-date data series for 186 countries in Global Energy & CO2 data
View the detailed consumption trends at country level (graphs, tables, analysis) in the Bulgaria energy report
Power Consumption
Electricity consumption, which had rebounded by 7.6% in 2021 after a 5.9% drop in 2020, declined by 2.3% in 2022 to 31 TWh, in a context of surging electricity prices. This is slightly below its 2019 level, as electricity consumption grew by 1.7%/year between 2013 and 2019 to nearly 32 TWh.
The residential sector is the largest electricity consumer (37% of the total in 2022), followed by industry (30%) and services (27%).
Graph: ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION (TWh)
Renewable in % Electricity Production
The national target fixed by the EU Directive on renewables of 16% of renewables in final consumption in 2020 was exceeded in 2012. The share reached 23.3% in 2020 and 17% in 2021, of which 18.8% was for electricity, 25.6% for heating and cooling, and 7.6% for transport.
In its NECP (2019), the country set a target of 27% of renewables in final energy consumption by 2030, including 30% for electricity, 43% for heating and cooling, and 14% for transport.
Interactive Chart Bulgaria Share of Renewables in Electricity Production (incl hydro)
Benefit from up to 2 000 up-to-date data series for 186 countries in Global Energy & CO2 data
Learn more about renewables in the European Battery Market Analysis
CO2 Fuel Combustion/CO2 Emissions
GHG emissions, which had been declining by more than 6%/year between 2015 and 2020 (including a 13% fall in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), rebounded by 16% in 2021 to nearly 45 MtCO2eq. This is 46% below their 1990 level. GHG emissions halved between 1988 and 2000, before rising by 3.5%/year until 2008 and averaging 50 Mt between 2008 and 2015.