World Bank outlines ways to address Bulgaria's demographic crisis

From 1988 to 2024, Bulgaria’s population fell from 8.9 million to 6.4 million. Rural areas are losing population twice as fast as urban areas. This is the finding of a World Bank report, funded by the EU to assess Bulgaria’s National Strategy for Demographic Development, BTA reported.

The populations of Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas, the country’s second-, third- and fourth-largest cities, remained broadly stable between 2001 and 2024, changing by no more than 5%. Sofia’s population has grown by around 10%.

Against the backdrop of this unfavorable trend, the analysis also identifies significant opportunities, noting that Bulgarians today are healthier and better educated than ever, economic activity is at its highest level since the late 1990s, emigration has slowed, and more Bulgarians are returning to the country.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov