Aging Fleet: Over 70% of Vehicles in Bulgaria Are More Than 15 Years Old

The state of Bulgaria's car fleet reflects a significant aging trend, with over 70% of vehicles on the roads exceeding 15 years in age. Meanwhile, only 4.6% of cars are less than five years old. This highlights the slow adoption of newer vehicles equipped with advanced safety systems, such as driver drowsiness detection, lane-keeping assistance, speed monitoring, and enhanced crash resistance.

As of January 1, 2024, a total of 4,030,487 motor vehicles were registered in Bulgaria. Of these, 3,556,514 were cars, 238,795 were mopeds and motorcycles, and 235,178 included trailers, tractors, and other specialized vehicles. Despite the substantial number of registered vehicles, electric cars remain underrepresented, with fewer than 13,000 registered in the country.

Bulgaria also has one of the lowest car ownership rates per 1,000 inhabitants in Europe, but vehicle distribution varies widely. Sofia stands out with 15% more cars per capita than the national average. This uneven distribution further illustrates regional disparities in car ownership and fleet modernization.