The demography of the Republic of Bulgaria is monitored by the
National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria
The National Statistical Institute or NSI ( bg, Национален статистически институт or НСИ) is the Bulgarian state agency responsible for the collection and dissemination of statistical data on the population, ec ...
.
This article is about the
demographic features of the population of
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
, including population density,
ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status,
religious affiliations Religious identity is a specific type of identity formation. Particularly, it is the sense of group membership to a religion and the importance of this group membership as it pertains to one's self-concept. Religious identity is not necessarily the ...
and other aspects of the population.
Bulgaria has a high
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, wh ...
of 0.813, ranking 51st in the world in 2018 and holds the 38th position in ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...
s rankings of the world's best countries to live in, measuring health, education, political environment and economic dynamism.
Demographic history
Various estimates have put Bulgaria's medieval population at 1.1 million in 700 AD and 2.6 million in 1365. At the 2011 census, the population inhabiting Bulgaria was 7,364,570 in total, but more recent estimates calculate that the population has declined to 6.9 million.
The peak was in 1989, the year when the borders opened after a half of a century of communist regime, when the population numbered 9,009,018.
Note: Crude migration change (per 1000) is an extrapolation
Vital statistics
Vital Statistics 1875 to 1915
The
total fertility rate
The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if:
# she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through her lifetime
# she were t ...
is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources:
Our World in Data
Our World in Data (OWID) is a scientific online publication that focuses on large global problems such as poverty, disease, hunger, climate change, war, existential risks, and inequality.
It is a project of the Global Change Data Lab, a re ...
and
Gapminder Foundation
Gapminder Foundation is a non-profit venture registered in Stockholm, Sweden, that promotes sustainable global development and achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by increased use and understanding of statistics and ...
.
Vital statistics 1900–1915
Vital statistics 1916–1940
Vital statistics 1941 to present
Source: National Statistical Institute
Current vital statistics
Birth rates and fertility
File:Bulgaria map birth rate by region 2014.svg, Birth rate in 2014
File:Bulgaria total fertility rate by region 2013.png, Fertility rate in 2013
File:Bulgaria total fertility rate by region 2014.png, Fertility rate in 2014
File:Графика на раждаемостта и смъртността в България.JPG, Bulgaria's deaths and births (2005–2009).
In 2016 a total of 64,984 live births were recorded in Bulgaria. The country has a crude birth rate of 9.1‰.
Seventy years ago (in the census of 1946), Bulgaria had a crude birth rate of 25,6‰. Ethnic
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely unders ...
(23,3‰) had a much lower crude birth rate compared to the two largest minorities:
Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...
(40,9‰) and
Roma (47,2‰). However, it is unlikely that this difference continued since then, as birth rates in the Balkan countries dropped sharply.
Bulgaria has a low
total fertility rate
The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if:
# she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through her lifetime
# she were t ...
of 1.54 children per woman (at the end of 2016). This is up significantly from the late 1990s, but still below replacement and not enough to prevent further population decline, especially with emigration. Provinces with large Roma populations (for example
Sliven
Sliven ( bg, Сливен ) is the eighth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and industrial centre of Sliven Province and municipality in Northern Thrace.
Sliven is famous for its heroic Haiduts who fought against the Ottoman Turk ...
,
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
and
Yambol
Yambol ( bg, Ямбол ) is a town in Southeastern Bulgaria and administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the Tundzha river in the historical region of Thrace. It is occasionally spelled ''Jambol''.
Yambol is the ad ...
) tend to have higher fertility rates (and higher death rates) compared to other areas, whereas Turkish fertility is similar to the Bulgarian majority.
Regional differences
As of 2017, the municipality of
Nikolaevo
Nikolaevo ( bg, Николаево ) is a small town in Stara Zagora Province, South-central Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situa ...
has the highest crude birth rate with 18.6‰, followed by
Tvarditsa (16.7‰) and
Kaynardzha
Kaynardzha ( bg, Кайнарджа ; ro, Cainargeaua Mică; tr, Kaynarca; also transliterated ''Kajnardža'' gr, Καϊναρτζή) is a village in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Silistra Province. It is the administrative centre of Kaynardzh ...
(15.7‰). All these municipalities have relatively large
Romani
Romani may refer to:
Ethnicities
* Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia
** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule
* Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
populations.
On the other hand, the municipalities of
Georgi Damyanovo,
Banite
Banite ( bg, Баните ; "The Baths") is a village in the Central Rhodope Mountains of southern Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of Banite Municipality, Smolyan Province. Banite is known for its mineral spring
Mineral springs a ...
and
Nevestino have a extremely low birth rates. These municipalities are almost exclusively inhabited by ethnic Bulgarians.
Teenage pregnancy
Bulgaria has one of the highest share of teenage pregnancy in Europe. Nevertheless, this number is declining rapidly in recent years.
The ten municipalities with the largest absolute number of teenage mothers are:
Sliven
Sliven ( bg, Сливен ) is the eighth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and industrial centre of Sliven Province and municipality in Northern Thrace.
Sliven is famous for its heroic Haiduts who fought against the Ottoman Turk ...
(373),
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...
(339),
Plovdiv (245),
Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik ( bg, Пазарджик ) is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality.
The Tatars founded Pazardzhik i ...
(161),
Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora ( bg, Стара Загора, ) is the sixth-largest city in Bulgaria, and the administrative capital of the homonymous Stara Zagora Province.
Name
The name comes from the Slavic root ''star'' ("old") and the name of the medieva ...
(141),
Nova Zagora
Nova Zagora ( bg, Нова Загора ) is a town located in the southeastern plains of Bulgaria in Sliven Province. It is the administrative centre of Nova Zagora Municipality. As of December 2009, the town had a population of 19,562 inhabitan ...
(131),
Burgas
Burgas ( bg, Бургас, ), sometimes transliterated as ''Bourgas'', is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the fourth-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna, with a popu ...
(108),
Yambol
Yambol ( bg, Ямбол ) is a town in Southeastern Bulgaria and administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the Tundzha river in the historical region of Thrace. It is occasionally spelled ''Jambol''.
Yambol is the admi ...
(106),
Haskovo
Haskovo ( bg, Хасково ) is a city in the region of Northern Thrace in southern Bulgaria and the administrative centre of the Haskovo Province, not far from the borders with Greece and Turkey. According to Operative Program Regional Develo ...
(96) and
Varna
Varna may refer to:
Places Europe
*Varna, Bulgaria, a city in Bulgaria
**Varna Province
**Varna Municipality
** Gulf of Varna
**Lake Varna
**Varna Necropolis
*Vahrn, or Varna, a municipality in Italy
*Varniai, a city in Lithuania
* Varna (Šaba ...
(86).
Life expectancy at birth
![Life expectancy by WBG -Bulgaria -diff](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Life_expectancy_by_WBG_-Bulgaria_-diff.png)
:Total population: 74.83 years
:Male: 71.37 years
:Female: 78.39 years (2016-2018 est.)
Average
life expectancy
Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, current age, and other demographic factors like sex. The most commonly used measure is life expectancy at birth ...
at age 0 of the total population.
Kardzhali Province
Kardzhali Province ( bg, Област Кърджали, Oblast Kărdžali, tr, Kırcaali ili) is a province of southern Bulgaria, neighbouring Greece with the Greek regional units of Xanthi, Rhodope, and Evros to the south and east. It is 320 ...
and
Sofia City
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...
have the highest life expectancy with 76.6 years for both sexes. The lowest life expectancy is recorded in the
Northwestern provinces like
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
(72.7 years),
Vratsa
Vratsa ( bg, Враца ) is the largest city in northwestern Bulgaria and the administrative and economic centre of the municipality of Vratsa and Vratsa district. It is located about 112 km north of Sofia, 40 km southeast of Montana.
...
(72.8 years) and
Vidin
Vidin ( bg, Видин, ; Old Romanian: Diiu) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as o ...
(72.9 years).
Infant mortality rate
:Total: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018)
:Male: 6.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2018)
:Female: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018)
Projections
The following forecast for the future population is an official estimate of the National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria.
Demographic statistics
Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review.
*One birth every 8 minutes
*One death every 5 minutes
*One net migrant every 111 minutes
*Net loss of one person every 11 minutes
Demographic statistics according to the
CIA World Factbook
''The World Factbook'', also known as the ''CIA World Factbook'', is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print version is available ...
, unless otherwise indicated.
[ ]
![Bulgariapop-1950](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Bulgariapop-1950.svg)
;Population:
:6,519,789 (Sept 2021 cens)
:6,919,180 (July 2021 est.)
:7,057,504 (July 2018 est.)
;Ethnic groups:
:Bulgarian 76.9%, Turkish/Balkan Gagauz 8%, Romani 4.4%, other 0.7% (including Russian, Armenian, and Vlach), other (unknown) 10% (2011 est.)
:note: Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 9–11% of Bulgaria's population
;Languages:
:Bulgarian (official) 76.8%, Balkan Gagauz 8.2%, Romani 3.8%, other 0.7%, unspecified 10.5% (2011 est.)
;Religions:
:Eastern Orthodox 59.4%, Muslim 7.8%, other (including Catholic, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox, and Jewish) 1.7%, none 3.7%, unspecified 27.4% (2011 est.)
;Age structure:
![Bulgariapop](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Bulgariapop.svg)
:''0-14 years:'' 14.52% (male 520,190 /female 491,506)
:''15-24 years:'' 9,4% (male 340,306 /female 312,241
:''25-54 years:''42.87% (male 1,538,593 /female 1,448,080)
:''55-64:'' 13.15% (male 433,943 /female 482,784)
:''65 years and over:'' 20.06% (male 562,513 /female 835,065) (2020 est.)
:''0-14 years:'' 14.6% (male 530,219 /female 500,398)
:''15-24 years:'' 9.43% (male 346,588 /female 318,645)
:''25-54 years:'' 43.12% (male 1,565,770 /female 1,477,719)
:''55-64 years:'' 13.3% (male 442,083 /female 496,888)
:''65 years and over:'' 19.54% (male 557,237 /female 821,957) (2018 est.)
;Median age:
:total: 43.7 years. Country comparison to the world: 20
:male: 41.9 years
:female: 45.6 years (2020 est.)
:total: 43 years. Country comparison to the world: 22nd
:male: 41.2 years
:female: 44.9 years (2018 est.)
;Birth rate:
:8.15 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 218th
:8.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 215th
;Death rate:
:14.52 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 3th
:14.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 4th
;Total fertility rate:
:1.49 children born/woman (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world:204th
:1.47 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 201st
;Net migration rate:
:-0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) Country compy to the world:115
;Population growth rate:
:-0.67% (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 229th
;Mother's mean age at first birth:
:27.1 years (2017 est.)
;
Dependency ratio
The dependency ratio is an age-population ratio of those typically not in the labor force (the ''dependent'' part ages 0 to 14 and 65+) and those typically in the labor force (the ''productive'' part ages 15 to 64). It is used to measure the press ...
s:
:total dependency ratio: 56.6 (2020 est.)
:youth dependency ratio: 23 (2020 est.)
:elderly dependency ratio: 33.6 (2020 est.)
:
potential support ratio
The potential support ratio (PSR) is the number of people age 15–64 per one older person aged 65 or older. This ratio describes the burden placed on the working population (unemployment and children are not considered in this measure) by the non ...
: 3 (2020 est.)
;Urbanization:
:urban population: 75.7% of total population (2020)
.rate of urbanization: -0.22% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
:potential support ratio: 3.3 (2015 est.)
;Life expectancy at birth:
:total population: 75.3 years. Country comparison to the world: 122th
:male: 72.08 years
:female: 78.73 years (2021 est.)
;Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
:total population: 98.4%
:male: 98.7%
:female: 98.1% (2015 est.)
;School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
:total: 14 years
:male: 14 years
:female: 14 years (2016)
;Unemployment, youth ages 15–24:
:total: 12.7%. Country comparison to the world: 108th
:male: 13.2%
:female: 11.9% (2018 est.)
Sex ratio
Of the total 7,364,570 as of 2011, 3,586,571 are
male
Male (symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization.
A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to ...
s and 3,777,999 are
female
Female (Venus symbol, symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ovum, ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the Sperm, male gamete during sexual reproduction.
A female has larger gamet ...
s, or there are 1,053 women for every 1,000 men.
Demographic policies
![Bias in Bulgaria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Bias_in_Bulgaria.jpg)
The progressive decrease of the Bulgarian population is hindering economic growth and welfare improvement, and the management measures taken to mitigate the negative consequences do not address the essence of the problem. The Government Program for the period 2017 - 2021 is the first one that aims at overturning the trend. The program also identifies the priority means for achieving this goal: measures to increase the birth rate, reduce youth emigration, and build up regulatory and institutional capacity to implement a modern immigration policy tailored to the needs of the Bulgarian business.
Ethnic groups
The following table shows the ethnic composition of all Provinces of Bulgaria according to the 2011 census(% from the declared):
Languages
![Bulgaria ethnic map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Bulgaria_ethnic_map.png)
The 2001 census defines an ethnic group as a "community of people, related to each other by origin and language, and close to each other by mode of life and culture"; and one's mother tongue as "the language a person speaks best and usually uses for communication in the family (household)".
According to the 2011 census, among the Bulgarians 99.4% indicate Bulgarian as a mother tongue, 0.3% - Turkish/Balkan gagauz, 0.1% - Roma and 0.1% others; among Turks 96.6% have pointed the Turkish/Balkan Gagauz as a mother tongue and 3.2% - Bulgarian; among the Roma 85% indicate Roma language as a mother tongue, 7.5% - Bulgarian, 6.7% - Turkish/Balkan gagauz and 0.6% - Romanian.
Religion
Bulgaria's traditional religion according to the constitution is the
Orthodox Christianity
Orthodoxy (from Ancient Greek, Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion.
Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Late antiquity, A ...
, while Bulgaria is a
secular state
A secular state is an idea pertaining to secularity, whereby a State (polity), state is or purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion. A secular state claims to treat all its citizens ...
too. Since the last two censuses (2001 and 2011) provide widely divergent results, they are both shown in the table below. It is noteworthy that over a fifth of the population chose not to respond to this question in the 2011 census.
![Distribution of Muslims in Bulgaria per Province](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Distribution_of_Muslims_in_Bulgaria_per_Province.svg)
:
The results of the Bulgarian 2011 Census, in which the indication of answer regarding the question for confession was optional, are as follows:
![Pomaks map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Pomaks_map.png)
The results of the Bulgarian 2001 Census by ethnic groups, the latest census in which the indication of identification (whether by confession or as irreligious) in the question for confession was obligatory, are as follows:
Migration
In relation to internal migration, according to the 1910 census, 300,000 or almost 10% of the ethnic Bulgarians were born in another Bulgarian municipality than the one they were enumerated in. The same data shows that the foreign-born ethnic Bulgarians numbered 78,000, or 2% of them, most numerous of whom were the 61,000
Ottoman-born, 9,000 Romanian-born and by less than 2,000
Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
, Serbian and Russian-born. By the 1926 census, there had been 253,000 refugees with granted households and land or citizenship but with many more in towns of uncertain number. 35% came from
Eastern Thrace
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
* Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air ...
, 30% came from
Greek Macedonia
Macedonia (; el, Μακεδονία, Makedonía ) is a geographic and former administrative region of Greece, in the southern Balkans. Macedonia is the largest and Greek geographic region, with a population of 2.36 million in 2020. It is ...
, another 18% from
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or West Thrace ( el, υτικήΘράκη, '' ytikíThráki'' ; tr, Batı Trakya; bg, Западна/Беломорска Тракия, ''Zapadna/Belomorska Trakiya''), also known as Greek Thrace, is a Geography, geograp ...
, 8% from
Dobruja
Dobruja or Dobrudja (; bg, Добруджа, Dobrudzha or ''Dobrudža''; ro, Dobrogea, or ; tr, Dobruca) is a historical region in the Balkans that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania. I ...
, 4% from the
Western Outlands
The Western (Bulgarian) Outlands () is a term used by Bulgarians to describe several regions located in southeastern Serbia.
The territories in question were ceded by Bulgaria to the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1920 as a result ...
, 3% from
Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
, and 2% from
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
. They constituted 6% of the country's population. In 1940, 70,000 Bulgarians
were exchanged from
Northern Dobruja
Northern Dobruja ( ro, Dobrogea de Nord or simply ; bg, Северна Добруджа, ''Severna Dobrudzha'') is the part of Dobruja within the borders of Romania. It lies between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, bordered in the south ...
. The total number of refugees in 1878-1940 is estimated at between 700,000 and 1,200,000.
Bulgarian internal migration 1910.png, Percentage of Bulgarians born in a different municipality of Bulgaria calculated from the total of the ethnic Bulgarians in 1910
Bulgarian refugees 1910.png, Percentage of foreign-born Bulgarians calculated from the total of the ethnic Bulgarians in 1910
Macedonian Bulgarian refugees.png, Percentage of Bulgarians born in Greek Macedonia and North Macedonia in 1946 calculated from the total of the ethnic Bulgarians
Thracian Bulgarian refugees.png, Part of the Bulgarians born in East Thrace
East Thrace or Eastern Thrace ( tr, Doğu Trakya or simply ''Trakya''; el, Ανατολική Θράκη, ''Anatoliki Thraki''; bg, Източна Тракия, ''Iztochna Trakiya''), also known as Turkish Thrace or European Turkey, is the pa ...
, West Thrace and Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
in 1946 calculated from the total of the ethnic Bulgarians
Danubian Bulgarian refugees.png, Part of the Bulgarians born in Northern Dobruja
Northern Dobruja ( ro, Dobrogea de Nord or simply ; bg, Северна Добруджа, ''Severna Dobrudzha'') is the part of Dobruja within the borders of Romania. It lies between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, bordered in the south ...
, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
and Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
in 1946 calculated from the total of the ethnic Bulgarians
Bulgarian refugees.png, Foreign born as a part of the ethnic Bulgarians in 1946
According to the 2011 census
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n citizens are the most numerous foreigners - 11 991, followed by 8 444 EU citizens (UK- 2 605, Greece - 1 253, Germany- 848, Poland - 819 and Italy - 456), citizens of
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
- 3 064,
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
- 1 091,
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
- 893 and
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
- 569. 22.8% of them are from Asia, mostly from Turkey. Those with dual Bulgarian and other citizenship were 22 152, or 0.3% of the population. Of them persons with Bulgarian and Russian citizenship were 5 257 (23.7%), followed by persons with Bulgarian and Turkish citizenship - 4 282 (19.3%), Bulgarian and citizenship of the USA- 1 725 (7.8%). There are at least 17,527
Refugees of the Syrian Civil War with applications in Bulgaria. In 2001-2015 185,447 people applied for Bulgarian citizenship and 116,222 were provided with. 113,647 were granted on grounds of proven Bulgarian ancestry, including 59,968 North Macedonia citizens. 29,218 were
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
n citizens, 5930 Ukrainians, 5374 Serbians, 5194 Russians, 3840 Israeli, 2192 Albanians, 692 Turks and others. In 2016, 12,880 foreigners were naturalized, including 6196 Macedonians.
Population by country of birth:
Foreigners by nationality:
Age structure
:0–14 years: 13.2%
:15–65 years: 68.3%
:65 years and over: 18.5% (Census 2011)
At the 2011 census the largest decadal age group of the identified as
Romani people
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sig ...
is the 0–9 years old or 21% of them, the same age group accounted for 10% of the
Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...
and 7% of the
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely unders ...
.
Experts estimate that the Romani in some provinces make up 40% of all aged between 0 and 9 years. Amongst those who did not answer the question on
ethnic group lowest is the share of people aged 60+ years.
Bulgarian children constitute the majority of all children in 23 out of 28 provinces. They constitute more than ninety percent of all children in two provinces:
Sofia (city) (92%) and
Pernik Province
Pernik Province is a province in western Bulgaria, neighbouring Serbia. Its main city is Pernik, and other municipalities are Breznik, Kovachevtsi, Radomir, Tran, and Zemen.
Population
Pernik province had a population of 133,750 according ...
(90%).
Turkish children constitute the majority in
Kardzhali Province
Kardzhali Province ( bg, Област Кърджали, Oblast Kărdžali, tr, Kırcaali ili) is a province of southern Bulgaria, neighbouring Greece with the Greek regional units of Xanthi, Rhodope, and Evros to the south and east. It is 320 ...
(68% of self-declared) and
Razgrad Province (50% of self-declared); they also constitute the largest group of all children in
Silistra Province (43%).
Roma children constitute 12% of all children in Bulgaria and more than a quarter in three provinces:
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
(29%),
Sliven
Sliven ( bg, Сливен ) is the eighth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and industrial centre of Sliven Province and municipality in Northern Thrace.
Sliven is famous for its heroic Haiduts who fought against the Ottoman Turk ...
(28%) and
Yambol
Yambol ( bg, Ямбол ) is a town in Southeastern Bulgaria and administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the Tundzha river in the historical region of Thrace. It is occasionally spelled ''Jambol''.
Yambol is the ad ...
(27%).
Bulgaria is ageing rapidly, especially in some remote rural areas.
The ageing of the population leads to an increase of the median age. The median age is 43.6 as of 2017, up from 40.4 years in 2001.
Education
Over 98% of the population is literate, the males being more literate than the females.
According to the 2011 census, about 112,778 people aged nine or more are
illiterate
Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, hum ...
. There are considerable differences in the share of illiterate persons amongst the three main ethnic groups. Amongst the Bulgarian ethnic group the share of illiterate is 0.5%, amongst the Turkish - 4.7% and amongst the Roma ethnic group - 11.8%. About 81 thousand people aged seven or more never visited school.
Unemployment
![Bulgaria socio-economic map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Bulgaria_socio-economic_map.jpg)
The median unemployment for the country in 2011 was 10.1%.
The number of unemployed people declined to 207 thousand people (or around 6.2% of the population) in 2017.
Most unemployed people are aged 15 to 24 years old.
The
unemployment rate
Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the referen ...
in rural areas (around 10.0%) is nearly two times higher than the unemployment rate in urban areas (approximately 5.1%).
Vidin Province
Vidin Province () is the northwesternmost province of Bulgaria. It borders Serbia to the west and Romania to the northeast. Its administrative centre is the city of Vidin on the Danube river. The area is divided into 11 municipalities. As of De ...
has the highest unemployment rate with almost one fifth of its labour force being unemployed. The provinces of
Shumen
Shumen ( bg, Шумен, also romanized as ''Shoumen'' or ''Šumen'', ) is the tenth largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and economic capital of Shumen Province.
Etymology
The city was first mentioned as ''Šimeonis'' in 1153 by t ...
(15.9%),
Silistra
Silistra ( bg, Силистра ; tr, Silistre; ro, Silistra) is a town in Northeastern Bulgaria. The town lies on the southern bank of the lower Danube river, and is also the part of the Romanian border where it stops following the Danube. Sil ...
(12.5%) and
Targovishte
Targovishte ( bg, Търговище, also transliterated ''Tǎrgovište'', , tr, Eski Cuma) is a city in Bulgaria, the administrative and economic capital of Targovishte Province.
It is situated at the northern foot of the low mountain of ...
(12.4%) have also very high unemployment rates.
Other statistics
Home ownership
According to
Eurostat
Eurostat ('European Statistical Office'; DG ESTAT) is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in the Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Kirchberg quarter of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Eurostat's main responsibilities are to provide statis ...
, 82.3% per cent of the population live in privately owned and owner-occupied homes, ranking it as 12th
highest in ownership globally.
It is down from a recent peak of 87.6% in 2008, and has been steadily falling since.
Internet penetration
The number of Internet users has increased rapidly since 2000—from 430,000 their number grew to 1.55 million in 2004, and 3.4 million (48 per cent penetration rate) in 2010. Bulgaria has the third-fastest average Broadband Internet speed in the world after South Korea and Romania with an average speed of 1,611 kbit/s.
Mobile phone adoption
Currently there are three active mobile phone operators—
Mtel,
Telenor
Telenor ASA ( or ) is a Norwegian majority state-owned multinational telecommunications company headquartered at Fornebu in Bærum, close to Oslo. It is one of the world's largest mobile telecommunications companies with operations worldwide, ...
and
Vivacom
Vivacom ( bg, Виваком) is the largest telecommunications company in Bulgaria and a former state-owned incumbent operator. The company is headquartered in the capital city Sofia and employs around 5,900 people, owning a mature distribution ne ...
, Mtel is the largest one with 5.2 million users as of 2010,
Telenor has 3,9 million as of 2007 and Vivacom over 1 million.
HIV
Bulgaria's
HIV rate is among the lowest in the world, being 0.1% or 3,800 infected as of 2009.
Urbanization
Most Bulgarians (72.5 per cent) reside in urban areas. Approximately one-sixth of them live in Sofia, which has a population exceeding 1,200,000 people.
:Urban population: 5,338,261 or 72.5% of total population (Census 2011)
:Rural: 2,026,309 or 27.5%
:Rate of urbanization: -0.3% annual rate of change (2005–10 est.)
See also
*
Immigration to Bulgaria
A process of immigration of ethnic non-Bulgarians to Bulgaria began after the country's liberation from Ottoman rule and the restoration of the Bulgarian state in 1878. The first wave of immigrants, mainly from Central and Eastern Europe, brought ...
*
Immigration to Europe
Immigration to Europe has a long history, but increased substantially in the later 20th century.
Western Europe countries, especially, saw high growth in immigration after World War II and many European nations today (particularly those of the EU- ...
*
List of countries by immigrant population
These are lists of countries by foreign-born population ( immigrants) and lists of countries by number native-born persons living in a foreign country (emigrants).
According to the United Nations, in 2019, the United States, Germany, and Saudi Ar ...
*
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
*
Ageing of Europe
The ageing of Europe, also known as the greying of Europe, is a demographic phenomenon in Europe characterised by a decrease in fertility, a decrease in mortality rate, and a higher life expectancy among European populations. Low birth rates an ...
Notes
References
External links
2005 Report on European Demography Eurostat
Eurostat ('European Statistical Office'; DG ESTAT) is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in the Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Kirchberg quarter of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Eurostat's main responsibilities are to provide statis ...
Annual report of the National Statistics Institute for 2005 regarding population and demographic processesUrbanization,1910-1946Bulgarian Subject Files – Social Issues: Minorities Blinken Open Society Archives, Budapest
Bulgarians – Species on the Brink
{{Ethnic groups in Bulgaria
Society of Bulgaria