Cardiovascular conditions are the main cause of death in Bulgaria

According to the Annual Report on the Health Status of Bulgarian Citizens for 2023, the main cause of death in Bulgaria is diseases of the cardiovascular system (61.1%), followed by oncological diseases (16.5%) and diseases of the respiratory system (4.9%).

Compared to previous years, 2023 saw a serious decrease in the total mortality rate (15.7 per 1,000), but Bulgaria continues to have the highest mortality rate in the EU.

Infant mortality rate is maintained compared to previous years (4.9%), but remains higher than in the EU (3.2%).

According to the data from the report, in 2023 there was a minimal increase in the birth rate, with the number of live births (57,478) being 1% (561) more than in the previous year.

The total birth rate (8.9%) is also higher than in 2022 and 2021 (8.8% and 8.5%, respectively), and is above the EU average (8.2%).