Bulgaria: cities by population
Bulgaria has a population of 6,667,659 (UN estimate, 2026), with Sofia as its capital. The 50 largest of its 320 recorded towns and cities, ranked.
-17%
since 2000 (8,000,520)
-19%
projected by 2050 (5,402,217)
62
people per km²
Figures are the latest available in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), which draws on national censuses of varying dates — treat them as recent, not same-year. Country totals are UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant) where the UN lists the country separately; the handful it reports under a parent state keep a GeoNames figure and are marked as such. Sources & method.
Largest cities in Bulgaria
| # | Place | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sofia | Sofia-Capital | 1,152,556 |
| 2 | Plovdiv | Plovdiv | 329,489 |
| 3 | Varna | Varna | 318,737 |
| 4 | Burgas | Burgas | 210,646 |
| 5 | Stara Zagora | Stara Zagora | 121,582 |
| 6 | Ruse | Ruse | 121,168 |
| 7 | Pleven | Pleven | 90,209 |
| 8 | Sliven | Sliven | 83,740 |
| 9 | Pernik | Pernik | 82,467 |
| 10 | Shumen | Shumen | 72,342 |
| 11 | Dobrich | Dobrich | 69,434 |
| 12 | Blagoevgrad | Blagoevgrad | 67,810 |
| 13 | Haskovo | Haskovo | 64,564 |
| 14 | Yambol | Yambol | 63,656 |
| 15 | Veliko Tŭrnovo | Veliko Tarnovo | 59,166 |
| 16 | Pazardzhik | Pazardzhik | 55,220 |
| 17 | Asenovgrad | Plovdiv | 54,778 |
| 18 | Vratsa | Vratsa | 49,569 |
| 19 | Gabrovo | Gabrovo | 48,133 |
| 20 | Kazanlak | Stara Zagora | 47,918 |
| 21 | Montana | Montana | 47,445 |
| 22 | Kyustendil | Kyustendil | 46,856 |
| 23 | Kardzhali | Kardzhali | 44,071 |
| 24 | Dimitrovgrad | Haskovo | 38,015 |
| 25 | Vidin | Vidin | 34,797 |
| 26 | Targovishte | Targovishte | 34,793 |
| 27 | Dupnitsa | Kyustendil | 34,764 |
| 28 | Gorna Oryahovitsa | Veliko Tarnovo | 32,792 |
| 29 | Petrich | Blagoevgrad | 30,722 |
| 30 | Smolyan | Smolyan | 30,689 |
| 31 | Karlovo | Plovdiv | 30,340 |
| 32 | Svishtov | Veliko Tarnovo | 30,157 |
| 33 | Silistra | Silistra | 29,498 |
| 34 | Razgrad | Razgrad | 28,931 |
| 35 | Sandanski | Blagoevgrad | 28,510 |
| 36 | Lovech | Lovech | 27,910 |
| 37 | Samokov | Sofia | 26,765 |
| 38 | Sevlievo | Gabrovo | 24,582 |
| 39 | Nova Zagora | Sliven | 23,625 |
| 40 | Troyan | Lovech | 21,162 |
| 41 | Aytos | Burgas | 20,986 |
| 42 | Botevgrad | Sofia | 20,909 |
| 43 | Gotse Delchev | Blagoevgrad | 20,522 |
| 44 | Velingrad | Pazardzhik | 20,286 |
| 45 | Karnobat | Burgas | 19,709 |
| 46 | Panagyurishte | Pazardzhik | 19,389 |
| 47 | Harmanli | Haskovo | 18,931 |
| 48 | Peshtera | Pazardzhik | 18,676 |
| 49 | Lom | Montana | 18,593 |
| 50 | Parvomay | Plovdiv | 17,000 |
Twenty years earlier: Bulgaria in the 2005 World Gazetteer — population then 7,506,098.
Common questions
What is the population of Bulgaria?
Bulgaria has a population of 6,667,659, the UN World Population Prospects estimate for 2026. The UN's medium-variant projection for 2050 is 5,402,217 — a forecast, not a measurement.
What is the capital of Bulgaria?
Sofia.