Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.1 years longer

In Kentucky, the average life expectancy is 74 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

make 33.6% less money

Kentucky has a GDP per capita of $50,135 as of 2024, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $33,300 as of 2023.

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be 22.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Kentucky, 3.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Bulgaria, that number is 4.3% as of 2023.

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be 33.8% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Kentucky, 15.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Bulgaria, however, that number is 20.6% as of 2022.

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Basic Needs

be 14.2% less likely to have internet access

In Kentucky, approximately 87.4% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Bulgaria, about 75.0% do as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: Kentucky vs. Bulgaria

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Bulgaria is 35.5% cheaper than Kentucky
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Size Comparison · See true size
Kentucky is around the same size as Bulgaria.
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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 Kentucky? See an in-depth size comparison.

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