If you lived in Bulgaria instead of Kazakhstan, you would:

Health

live 1.2 years longer

In Kazakhstan, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 2.0 times more spent on your healthcare

Kazakhstan spends $1,460 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bulgaria spends $2,970 as of 2023.

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have 15.3% more doctors per person

Kazakhstan has 37.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Bulgaria has 43.3 as of 2022.

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be 34.9% less likely to die by suicide

Kazakhstan has a suicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bulgaria, it is 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 25.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Kazakhstan, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bulgaria, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.

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make 38.4% more money

Kazakhstan has a GDP per capita of $14,692 as of 2025, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $20,328 as of 2025.

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be 4.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Kazakhstan, 5.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Bulgaria, however, that number is 21.2% as of 2024.

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Life

be 40.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Kazakhstan, approximately 10.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bulgaria, 6.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 37.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Kazakhstan, approximately 7.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Bulgaria, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2024.

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have 57.5% fewer children

In Kazakhstan, there are approximately 19.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bulgaria, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 11.7% less likely to have internet access

In Kazakhstan, approximately 93.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bulgaria, about 82.4% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.1 times more on healthcare

Kazakhstan spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bulgaria, that number is 7.9% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 57.3% less likely to be murdered

Kazakhstan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Bulgaria, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 31.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Kazakhstan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bulgaria, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 2.4 times more home broadband

Kazakhstan has 15.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bulgaria has 37.0 as of 2023.

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live with 16.2% more strain on fresh water

Kazakhstan withdraws 35% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bulgaria withdraws 40% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 57.8% less CO2

Kazakhstan emits 12.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Bulgaria: At a glance

Bulgaria is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 108,489 sq km. The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
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How big is Bulgaria compared to Kazakhstan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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