Bulgaria vs Italy development indicators, 2024

Demography and Health

Bulgaria has a birth rate of 8.9 per 1,000 people, which surpasses Italy's rate of 6.4, placing Bulgaria 45th globally compared to Italy's 81st. However, Bulgaria's death rate is significantly higher at 15.7 per 1,000 compared to Italy's 11.2, ranking Bulgaria 9th and Italy 38th. Life expectancy in Bulgaria stands at 75.7 years, which is considerably lower than Italy's 83.7 years, where Italy ranks 2nd globally. The under-5 mortality rate in Bulgaria is also higher at 6.1 per 1,000 live births versus Italy's 2.8, where Bulgaria ranks 6th and Italy 62nd. The net migration in Bulgaria is a moderate 524, while Italy sees a substantial influx with 95,246, positioning it 21st in the world for migration.

Economy

Bulgaria's GDP per capita is significantly lower at $17,412 compared to Italy's $40,226, with respective rankings of 103rd for Bulgaria and 42nd for Italy. In terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), Bulgaria's GDP per capita is $41,086, while Italy's is $60,847, indicating a similar trend in economic disparity. Despite these factors, Bulgaria demonstrates a higher reliance on exports, with 55.8% of its GDP stemming from exports, compared to Italy's 32.7%. Conversely, Italy also boasts a more manageable inflation rate of 1% over Bulgaria's 2.4%. Bulgaria's unemployment rate is better at 4.3%, while Italy’s unemployment is recorded at 7.6%, ranking Bulgaria 59th and Italy 11th in this aspect.

Trade and Investment

Bulgaria's foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows as a percentage of GDP stand at 3.1%, compared to Italy's 0.9%. While Bulgaria has a higher percentage of trade-related GDP, both countries have a high dependency on imports, with Bulgaria at 53.5% and Italy at 30.4%. In terms of high-technology exports, Bulgaria's figure is relatively modest at $3.2 billion, while Italy leads with $52.2 billion, highlighting the disparity in technological output between the two nations.

Governance and Institutions

The governance landscape reveals significant differences with Bulgaria's performance in control of corruption ranked at -0.1, substantially lower than Italy's 0.6, where Bulgaria ranks 79th and Italy 53rd. Government effectiveness in Bulgaria is rated at 0, whereas Italy achieves a score of 0.6. Political stability is measured at 0.3 for Bulgaria and 0.6 for Italy, indicating a more stable governance structure in Italy. Regulatory quality and the rule of law follow the same trend, with both categories being more favorable in Italy than in Bulgaria, demonstrating weaknesses in Bulgarian governance structures.

Infrastructure and Technology

Bulgaria's logistics performance index is rated at 3.1, behind Italy's score of 3.8, indicating that Italy has superior trade and transport-related infrastructure. In the realm of technological adoption, individuals using the internet constitute 80.4% of Bulgaria's population, which is slightly lower than Italy's 87%. Additionally, Bulgaria shows a higher number of patent applications relative to its population, with 165 reports compared to Italy's 10,281 applications, highlighting Bulgaria's potential for innovation despite existing cultural and infrastructural challenges.

Environment and Sustainability

In terms of renewable energy consumption, Bulgaria ranks slightly higher with 20.4% versus Italy's 17.5%. However, Bulgaria faces higher levels of water stress, with freshwater withdrawal accounting for 37.5% of available resources, compared to Italy's level of 29.6%. Regarding greenhouse gas emissions, Bulgaria emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per capita, compared to Italy's 6.3 tonnes, suggesting a larger carbon footprint per individual in Bulgaria. Additionally, both countries show a similar prevalence of undernourishment at 2.5%, indicating generally adequate food security in both nations.