Bulgaria's population shrinks by 30 percent
Bulgaria's population, which reached 9 million in 1985, has been in steady decline over the past 40 years to 6.4 million due to low birth rates and rising emigration, while government efforts to reverse this trend have been unsuccessful.
According to data from the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute (NSI), the population in the country was 8.948.000 in 1985, while it has decreased by about 30 percent and in 2023 it fell to 6.445.000, writes Alsat.m.
According to NSI data, 2023 babies were born in the country in 57 and 101 people died. The fact that deaths have been higher than births in the last 25 years has emerged as the most effective factor in the country's population decline.
In addition, migration from Bulgaria to other countries accelerated after the country's accession to the European Union (EU) in early 2007 and has been a factor in population loss in recent years.
Although Bulgaria took many measures to reduce and restore population loss, it could not achieve the desired result.
In this context, in 2012 the government approved the "Updated National Strategy for Demographic Development of the Population" covering the period 2012-2030.
In 2019, a strategy was adopted that aims to increase the inclusion of individuals aged 55 and over in active social life, KosovaPress reports.
In recent years, the government has aimed to encourage the return of emigrants and develop industrialization and housing policies by allocating more resources to rural areas where the population has declined.
Bulgaria has been implementing a system of state support for families and children since the 1960s, but the resources allocated to this program are insufficient compared to other EU countries.
