The average life expectancy in Bulgaria is on the rise, reaching 75.6 years for the period 2022–2024, according to the latest data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI). This marks an increase of 2.1 years compared to the previous period (2021–2023), showing a gradual return to pre-pandemic trends.

Life expectancy continues to differ significantly between men and women. For Bulgarian men, the average is 71.9 years, while women live substantially longer - by 7.4 years on average - with a life expectancy of 79.3 years. When comparing with data from a decade ago, in 2014, life expectancy has increased by 0.7 years for men and by 1.0 year for women.

The gap is also visible between urban and rural populations. Residents of cities live longer than those in villages, with the average for urban areas at 76.4 years and for rural areas at 73.5 years—a difference of 2.9 years. Still, both groups saw a rise in life expectancy over the past year: a 2.0-year increase in urban areas and a 2.2-year increase in rural areas.

For the population aged 65 and over, the average life expectancy now stands at 16.7 years. Broken down by gender, men in this age group can expect to live another 14.5 years, while women can expect 18.6 years. This is 1.5 years more than the life expectancy for this age group reported in 2023.

Across the different regions of the country, disparities remain. The lowest life expectancy is recorded in Vidin district at 71.9 years, while the highest is in Sofia (capital) district at 77.3 years. In all regions, women live longer than men, but the size of that gap varies. The largest difference is found in Vidin—9.2 years between the sexes—while the smallest gap is seen in Sofia (capital) and Shumen districts, both at 6.6 years.