Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bulgaria instead of Sweden, you would:
Health
be 31.3% less likely to die by suicide
Sweden has a suicide rate of 13.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bulgaria, it is 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.3 years less
In Sweden, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
be 16.0% more likely to be obese
In Sweden, 17.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 20.3% of people as of 2024.
see 61.8% less spent on your healthcare
Sweden spends $7,770 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bulgaria spends $2,970 as of 2023.
have 14.1% less access to essential health services
Sweden scores 85 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bulgaria scores 73 as of 2021.
Economy
be 59.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Sweden, 8.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bulgaria, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
be 31.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Sweden, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Bulgaria, however, that number is 21.2% as of 2024.
make 67.8% less money
Sweden has a GDP per capita of $63,133 as of 2025, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $20,328 as of 2025.
Life
be 50.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Sweden, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bulgaria, 6.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Sweden, approximately 2.0 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.
have 10.8% fewer children
In Sweden, there are approximately 9.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bulgaria, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 13.9% less likely to have internet access
In Sweden, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Bulgaria, about 82.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 38.5% less on education
Sweden spends 7.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Bulgaria spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 29.4% less on healthcare
Sweden spends 11.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 7.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 89.0% less coastline
Sweden has a total of 3,218 km of coastline. In Bulgaria, that number is 354 km.
Safety
be 17.9% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Sweden, 73% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Bulgaria, that number is 86% as of 2020.
be 4.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Sweden, road accidents kill 2.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bulgaria, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 11.2 times more strain on fresh water
Sweden withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bulgaria withdraws 40% as of 2022.
use 56.2% less electricity
Sweden uses 12,226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 7.9 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Sweden, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bulgaria, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 48.7% more CO2
Sweden emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Sweden vs. Bulgaria
Bulgaria: At a glance
How big is Bulgaria compared to Sweden? See an in-depth size comparison.