Bulgaria's Top 2% Scientists 2024

Bulgaria has 70 scientists on the 2024 single-year Top 2% list, up 20.7% from 58 in 2023. That places Bulgaria 69th in the world by number of listed scientists, up 2 places. Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski has the most listed scientists (12), followed by The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (9).

Single Year

+12 (+20.7%) vs 2023

Career Data

+8 (+10.1%) vs 2023

World rank by count

#69

up 2 places vs 2023

Institutes

-3 (-9.1%) vs 2023

Scientists in Bulgaria on the list, by year

The single-year count has more than doubled since 2020.

Single-year list, change on the previous year

2021+37.1%

2022+14.6%

2023+5.5%

2024+20.7%

2025-10.0%

Show the numbers

Year	Single Year	Change	Career Data	Change
2020	35		50
2021	48	+37.1%	73	+46.0%
2022	55	+14.6%	76	+4.1%
2023	58	+5.5%	79	+3.9%
2024	70	+20.7%	87	+10.1%
2025	63	-10.0%	91	+4.6%

Top 10 institutes in Bulgaria

By number of listed scientists

Single-year list2024

Show the list

All 70 scientists

Single-year list2024

Everyone on the list, free to browse.

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Rank in Bulgaria	World rank	Scientist	Institute	Sub-field	Rank in sub-field
1	648	AK Atanassov, Krassimir	Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 45
2	8,635	HK Hadjiivanov, Konstantin	The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Physical Chemistry	Rank 30
3	9,265	SP Surai, Peter F.	Trakia University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine	Dairy & Animal Science	Rank 11
4	12,905	BV Bankova, Vassya	Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry (IOCCP) Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry	Rank 38
5	15,239	Ivanov, Stanislav	Varna University of Management	Sport, Leisure & Tourism	Rank 72
6	22,385	TK Toutanova, Kristina	Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 919
7	24,035	DA Dzhambov, Angel M.	Medical University of Plovdiv	Toxicology	Rank 88
8	26,284	KI Kostova, Irena	Medical University of Sofia	Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry	Rank 86
9	28,687	DI Doytchinova, Irini	Medical University of Sofia	Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry	Rank 96
10	28,828	YS Yazadjiev, Stoytcho S.	Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 347
11	29,193	DN Denkov, Nikolai	Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski	Chemical Physics	Rank 435
12	30,395	VS Vassilev, Stanislav V.	The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Energy	Rank 776
13	39,190	MM Minkov, Michael	Varna University of Management	Social Psychology	Rank 591
14	40,850	VN Vitanov, Nikolay V.	Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski	General Physics	Rank 257
15	42,762	GM Georgiev, Milen I.	The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 640
16	51,452	KD Kashchiev, Dimo	Institute of Physical Chemistry Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Chemical Physics	Rank 703
17	55,718	VV Velikova, Violeta	Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 888
18	73,945	IB Ivanov, B. V.	Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 895
19	75,198	PD Pavlov, D.	The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Energy	Rank 2,035
20	84,432	VN Vitanov, Nikolay K.	Institute of Mechanics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 583
21	90,910	PV Popov, Valentin N.	Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski	Applied Physics	Rank 1,723
22	94,628	VG Vayssilov, Georgi N.	Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski	Chemical Physics	Rank 1,203
23	101,034	KV Kiryakova, Virginia	Institute of Mathematics and Informatics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	General Mathematics	Rank 520
24	102,180	AL Antonov, Liudmil	Institute of Electronics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Organic Chemistry	Rank 1,337
25	108,070	PT Popov, Todor A.	University Hospital Alexandrovska	Allergy	Rank 238
26	108,873	HJ Hristov, Jordan Y.	University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy Sofia	Energy	Rank 3,024
27	111,148	EA Edreva, Aglika	The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 1,903
28	114,866	DV Dimitrov, Vesselin	University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy Sofia	Applied Physics	Rank 2,192
29	115,789	BL Boyanova, Lyudmila	Medical University of Sofia	Microbiology	Rank 2,429
30	123,044	CC Christov, Christomir	Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen	Chemical Engineering	Rank 1,012
31	124,002	EG Eskenazy, Greta M.	Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 1,757
32	124,370	NM Nikolova, Maria P.	University of Rousse	Materials	Rank 2,621
33	127,009	PA Popova, Angelina	University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy Sofia	Materials	Rank 2,688
34	127,350	KP Kralchevsky, Peter A.	Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski	Chemical Physics	Rank 1,541
35	139,225	VC Vassileva, Christina G.	The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Energy	Rank 3,941
36	143,547	TS Tcholakova, S.	Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski	Chemical Physics	Rank 1,712
37	144,801	DD Dimitrov, Dimiter V.	Diavita Ltd.	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 4,735
38	145,971	II Ivanov, I. B.	Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski	Chemical Physics	Rank 1,742
39	152,143	DT Dudev, Todor M.	Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski	Chemical Physics	Rank 1,814
40	170,804	GT Gechev, Tsanko	Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 3,013
41	174,398	KA Krastanov, Albert	University of Food Technologies-Plovdiv	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 3,087
42	175,466	PM Popova, Milena	Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry (IOCCP) Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry	Rank 722
43	175,617	GV Goltsev, Vasilij	Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 3,114
44	185,428	KD Karagiozova, Dora	Institute of Mechanics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Mechanical Engineering & Transports	Rank 1,727
45	189,257	DI Dimitrov, Ivan	Medical University of Sofia	Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry	Rank 794
46	194,275	HK Hristov, Kiril	Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 2,232
47	211,603	GV Georgiev, Vladimir	Institute of Mathematics and Informatics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	General Mathematics	Rank 1,189
48	212,807	AM Atanassova, Maria	University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy Sofia	Chemical Engineering	Rank 1,874
49	251,929	AI Avramov, I.	The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Applied Physics	Rank 5,132
50	255,815	MV Mladenov, Valeri	Technical University of Sofia	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 9,324
51	261,767	Stoev, Stoycho D.	Trakia University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine	Toxicology	Rank 1,107
52	282,520	DI Dimov, Ivan	The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 10,197
53	290,684	SS Stefanov, Stefan	Institute of Mechanics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	General Physics	Rank 1,513
54	301,200	AP Antov, Petar	University of Forestry	Forestry	Rank 484
55	320,329	TB Trusheva, Boryana	Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry (IOCCP) Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry	Rank 1,608
56	417,524	NC Nanev, Christo N.	Institute of Physical Chemistry Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Applied Physics	Rank 8,698
57	433,110	JN Jeliazkova, Nina	IDEAconsult Ltd.	Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry	Rank 2,394
58	465,970	DZ Dimitrova, Zlatinka I.	Institute of Mechanics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 2,709
59	470,322	ZD Zheleva-Dimitrova, Dimitrina	Medical University of Sofia	Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry	Rank 2,663
60	489,130	DK Dokova, Klara Georgieva	Medical University-Varna	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 5,321
61	492,815	SV Savov, Viktor	University of Forestry	Forestry	Rank 914
62	499,909	Tchernev, Georgi	Medical University of Sofia	Dentistry	Rank 2,688
63	507,078	MI Mladenova, I.	Trakia University Faculty of Medicine	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 5,495
64	545,707	PK Panajotov, K.	Georgi Nadjakov Institute of Solid State Physics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Optoelectronics & Photonics	Rank 1,644
65	607,653	GM Gulubova, Maya	Trakia University Faculty of Medicine	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 6,492
66	644,960	GV Gerdjikov, Vladimir S.	The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Mathematical Physics	Rank 344
67	706,591	PM Panayotova, Marinela	University of Mining and Geology St. Ivan Rilski	Mining & Metallurgy	Rank 706
68	835,902	RV Rizov, Victor	University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy	Materials	Rank 22,146
69	911,512	NR Nedkov, Rumen	Space Research and Technology Institute	Optoelectronics & Photonics	Rank 3,169
70	1,606,666	DN Djagarov, Nikolay	Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy	Electrical & Electronic Engineering	Rank 9,717
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Countries with a similar count

Single-year list2024

Estonia83 scientistsin 2024

Tunisia78 scientistsin 2024

Luxembourg74 scientistsin 2024

Kuwait69 scientistsin 2024

Algeria68 scientistsin 2024

Lithuania65 scientistsin 2024

Explore other countries

Single-year list2024

Poland1,306 scientistsin 2024

Russia968 scientistsin 2024

Czech Republic500 scientistsin 2024

Hungary301 scientistsin 2024

Romania257 scientistsin 2024

Slovakia111 scientistsin 2024

All countries on the world map

Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from Bulgaria are in the 2024 Stanford Top 2% list?

70 scientists affiliated with Bulgaria are on the 2024 single-year list, and 87 are on the career-long list.

Which institute in Bulgaria has the most Top 2% scientists?

On the 2024 single-year list, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski has the most listed scientists from Bulgaria, with 12. It is followed by The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences with 9.

How has the number of Top 2% scientists in Bulgaria changed since 2020?

On the single-year list, Bulgaria went from 35 scientists in 2020 to 70 in 2024, a change of +100.0%.

What is the difference between the single-year and career-long lists?

The single-year list ranks scientists on the citations their work received in one year. The career-long list ranks them on citations across their whole career. Both lists are published every year, and a scientist can be on one, both or neither.

What is the official source of this data?

The rankings come from the science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators published by Ioannidis et al. in the Elsevier Data Repository, updated every year. TOPSCINET, an independent platform, organises that data by country, year, institute and field, so you can compare and explore it.