AI & industrial efficiency in Bulgaria
Bulgaria sits well below the EU on industrial AI adoption: in 2025 8.55% of its enterprises with ten or more staff used AI technologies, against an EU-27 average of 19.9% (26th of 28 countries reported by Eurostat). On the energy side 23.21% of its gross final energy consumption came from renewable sources in 2024, below the EU's 25.2%.
| Indicator | Bulgaria | EU average | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprises using AI | 8.55% | 19.95% | 2025 |
| Renewable energy share | 23.21% | 25.24% | 2024 |
| Enterprise birth rate | 10.72% | 10.46% | 2023 |
On AI take-up Bulgaria ranks 26th of the 28 economies in the Eurostat isoc_eb_ai release, with 8.55% of larger enterprises using AI — about 11.4 points behind the EU-27 average of 19.9%. Its renewable share of 23.21% for 2024 places it 17th of 29, while its 2023 enterprise birth rate of 10.72% ranks 14th against an EU mean of 10.5%.
What stands out for Bulgaria: AI adoption among its firms is among the lowest Eurostat records.
FAQ
What share of enterprises in Bulgaria use AI?
Eurostat reports that 8.55% of enterprises in Bulgaria with ten or more employees used AI technologies in 2025, compared with an EU-27 average of 19.9% (dataset isoc_eb_ai).
How does Bulgaria's renewable energy share compare with the EU?
In 2024, renewable sources made up 23.21% of Bulgaria's gross final energy consumption, below the EU-27 figure of 25.2% (Eurostat dataset nrg_ind_ren).
What was the enterprise birth rate in Bulgaria?
Bulgaria's enterprise birth rate was 10.72% in 2023, against an EU-27 average of 10.5% (Eurostat business demography, dataset bd_size).
Sources
- Eurostat — Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (dataset isoc_eb_ai)
- Eurostat — Share of energy from renewable sources (dataset nrg_ind_ren)
- Eurostat — Business demography by size class (dataset bd_size)
- Eurostat — 20% of EU enterprises use AI technologies
- Eurostat — More businesses opened than dissolved in the EU in 2023
European data & reports
Reports: State of AI Adoption in European Manufacturing 2026 · State of European Industrial Energy & Decarbonization 2026 · State of EU Manufacturing: Enterprises & Resilience 2026
Data: Share of EU enterprises using AI · EU AI adoption by enterprise size · EU AI adoption by country · EU enterprise birth and death rates · EU enterprise birth rates by country