Bulgaria ranks fourth in the EU in number of judges per capita

Bulgaria ranks among the countries with the highest number of judges relative to the population in the European Union, according to current data from the EU statistical office – Eurostat. According to 2024 calculations, there are 35.4 judges for every 100,000 people in the country.

In the European ranking, Bulgaria holds fourth place. Ahead of it are Croatia (43.3), Slovenia (40.2), and Luxembourg (36). Immediately following the Bulgarian indicator is Romania with 35.3 judges per 100,000 inhabitants.

By comparison, the average indicator for the entire European Union is significantly lower, amounting to 15.7 judges per 100,000 people. The fewest judges per capita are observed in Ireland (3.6), followed by Austria (4.3) and Spain (6.2).

The statistics also reveal a significant trend regarding the demographic composition of judicial bodies. In the majority of member states, women are the majority among judges. In Bulgaria, this percentage reaches 64.4%. The highest share of women in the judicial system is reported in Slovenia (81.4%), Latvia (79.7%), and Greece (75.5%). The only exception in the EU is Ireland, where male judges account for 56.4%.

The publication of this data coincides with the marking of the International Criminal Court Day, celebrated on July 17 – the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute in 1998.