Bulgaria
PrintPrimary tabs
Albanian, Gheg
[aln] Users: 1,000 in Bulgaria (2016 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Albanian, Gheg.
Armenian, Western
[hyw] Major cities. Users: 5,620 in Bulgaria (2011 census). Status: 5* (Developing). Classification: Indo-European, Armenian.
Aromanian
[rup] Blagoevgrad and Kyustendil provinces; Pazardzhit province: Peshtera, Rakitovo, and Velingrad municipalities. Users: 9,800 in Bulgaria (2016 J. Leclerc). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). De facto language of provincial identity in Blagoevgrad, Kyustendil, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Sofia, Sofia Capital, Stanamaka, Stara Zagora, Veliko Tarnovo and Vidin provinces. Alternate Names: Armani, Armina, Armini, Arumanian, Macedo, Macedo-Rumanian, Romanian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Eastern.
Balkan Gagauz Turkish
[bgx] Silistra province: Dulova municipality, near Isperih town. Deli Orman area (Gajal dialect). Users: Status: 7 (Shifting). Classification: Turkic, Southern, Turkish.
Bulgarian
[bul] Users: 6,840,000 in Bulgaria (European Commission 2012). Total users in all countries: 8,280,790. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1991, Constitution, Article 3). Autonym: български език (bălgarski ezik). Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Eastern.
Bulgarian Sign Language
[bqn] Scattered. Users: 21,000 (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 14,000–28,000, assuming 0.2%–0.4% of the total population. Other estimates: 37,000 (2014 IMB), 50,000 (2019 EUD). Status: 5 (Developing). Alternate Names: Balgarski žestomimičen ezik, BŽE. Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language.
Chinese, Mandarin
[cmn] Users: 1,900 in Bulgaria (2016 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese.
Crimean Tatar
[crh] Dobrich province: Krushari municipality. Users: 1,370 in Bulgaria (2011 census). Status: 5* (Developing). Alternate Names: Crimean, Crimean Turkish, Qırım Türkçesi, Qirim, Qirimtatar. Classification: Turkic, Southern.
Czech
[ces] Users: 9,000 in Bulgaria (2016 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, West, Czech-Slovak.
English
[eng] Users: 1,742,500 in Bulgaria, all users. L1 users: 2,500 in Bulgaria (2016 J. Leclerc). L2 users: 1,740,000 (2020). Status: 4 (Educational). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English.
French
[fra] Users: 164,000 in Bulgaria (Beck et al 2018), L2 users. Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French.
Gagauz
[gag] Dobrich province: Dobrich and Krusheri municipalities; Silistra province: Atafar and Kaybardzha municipalities; Varna province: Aksakovo municipality. Users: 5,000 in Bulgaria (Salminen 2007). Status: 5* (Developing). Alternate Names: Gagauz dili, Gagauzi, Gagauzça. Classification: Turkic, Southern, Turkish.
German, Standard
[deu] Users: 557,000 in Bulgaria (2020), L2 users. Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Deutsch. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German.
Greek
[ell] Users: 3,220 in Bulgaria (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic.
Macedonian
[mkd] Blagoevgrad province: Blagoevgrad, Simitli, and Strumjani municipalities. Users: 1,400 in Bulgaria (2011 census). Status: 6b* (Threatened). Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Eastern.
Romani, Balkan
[rmn] Scattered near urban areas; Burgas, Gabrovo, Grad Sofiya, Sliven, and Sofiya provinces; Stara Zagora province: Kazanlak municipality. From Sofia to the Black Sea (Central dialect); central and northwest Bulgaria (Tinsmiths’ dialect); Sofia region (Arlija dialect); Sliven and Varna provinces (Drindari dialect). Users: 481,000 in Bulgaria, all users. L1 users: 281,000 in Bulgaria (2011 census). 100,000 Arlija, 20,000 Dzambazi, 10,000 Tinsmiths, 10,000 East Bulgarian. L2 users: 200,000 (Gunnemark and Kenrick 1985). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Gypsy. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Romani, Balkan.
Romani, Vlax
[rmy] Sofiya province: Ihtiman. Users: 1,830 in Bulgaria (2011 census). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Rom. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Romani, Vlax.
Romanian
[ron] Users: 5,520 in Bulgaria (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Eastern.
Russian
[rus] Users: 1,675,800 in Bulgaria, all users. L1 users: 15,800 in Bulgaria (2011 census). L2 users: 1,660,000 (European Commission 2012). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, East.
Spanish
[spa] Users: 128,000 in Bulgaria (2019), L2 users. Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian.
Turkish
[tur] Burgas province: Kameno, Malko Tarnovo, east Sredets, Sozopol, and Tsarevo municipalities; Khaskovo and Kurdzhali provinces; Smolyan province: Banite, Madan, and Nedelino municipalities; Stara Zagora and Yambol provinces: small border areas. Users: 606,000 in Bulgaria (2011 census). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Recognized language (1991, National Education Act , No. 86/18.10.1991), Allows mother-tongue education in primary grades 1–8 for Turkish speakers. Alternate Names: Osmanli, Turki, Türkçe. Classification: Turkic, Southern, Turkish.
Ukrainian
[ukr] Users: 1,760 in Bulgaria (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, East.
Vietnamese
[vie] Users: 1,700 in Bulgaria (2016 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Austro-Asiatic, Mon-Khmer, Viet-Muong, Vietnamese.
Yiddish, Eastern
[ydd] Scattered. Users: No known L1 speakers in Bulgaria. Ethnic population: 2,200 (2016 World Jewish Congress). Status: 9 (Dormant). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, Yiddish.