A total of 46 out of all 257 cities in the country increased their population last year , and only five of them are regional centers. This shows a comparison of the data of the current demographic statistics of the National Statistical Institute for population by cities and sex as of December 31, 2023 with those of a year earlier, made by BTA.
The regional centers that are increasing their population are Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Kardzhali, Plovdiv and Sofia. In the remaining 211 cities, people decreased by different numbers. There are 11 cities with a population of less than 1,000 people. Thus, in the group of the smallest Bulgarian city, Melnik (165 population), there are also Antonovo (968 population), Boboshevo (955 population), Bolyarovo (991 population), Brusartsi (873 women), Gramada (945 women), Dimovo (917 women), Kiten (809 women), Klisura (829 women), Madjarovo (475 women) and Pliska (775 women).< /p>
The largest population increase is in Sofia, the least – in Pavel Banya.
The data show that the largest increase in residents was registered in the three largest cities in terms of population in the country. The population of the capital increased by 6,550 people and now reaches 1,196,806. After Sofia, the most “jump“ the population of Plovdiv. The inhabitants of the city under the hills increased by 3,661 people and are now 325,485, and in Varna the population grew by 3,514 people and became 314,607. With a four-digit number of inhabitants last year, Nessebar and Sveti Vlas also increased their population, respectively by 2,734 and 1,283 inhabitants.
The population of Pomorie grew by 549 people in 2023. In three other cities – Kardzhali, Rakitovo and Bansko, the inhabitants increased by more than 400. Kardzhali grew by 464 people, Rakitovo – with 405, and Bansko – with 401. In two Bulgarian cities, the population increased by more than 200 people. These are Primorsko – with 233, and Sozopol – with 209 people.
In 5 cities, the number of permanent residents “jumps” with more than 100 people. These are Kiten with 188 people, Byala (Varna region) with 179 people, Veliko Tarnovo (with 165 people), Momchilgrad (with 160 people) and Chernomorets (with 146 people). The population of 23 of the cities in the country increased by a double-digit number of inhabitants. These are Balchik – with 88 inhabitants, Zemen – with 70 women, Koprivshtitsa – with 62 women, Aheloy and Obzor – with 51 women each, Jebel – with 50 women, Madjarovo – with 43 women, Ardino – 39 years old, Zlataritsa – with 37 women, Boboshevo and Melnik – with 29 women each, Dimovo, Dolna Banya and Sadovo – with 24 women each, Kermen – with 23 women, Sapareva Banya – with 22 women, Gurkovo – with 19 women, Glodjevo, Kostandovo, Letnitsa and Ugarchin – with 18 women each, Elin Pelin – with 11 w. and Varbitsa with exactly 10 people.
In only seven of the cities did the population increase by single digits. The residents of Bankya and Vetovo increased by nine people each, in Ahtopol – with eight d., in the Cave – with five d., in Dunavtsi – with four, in Nikolaevo – with three, and Pavel Banya with only one person.
Half of the towns in the Burgas region are "crowded" residents
Cities in which population growth is reported in 2023 are located in 19 of the 28 regions, the data show. Unlike previous years, last year there was no area in which all cities increased their population.
Half of the 20 cities in the Burgas region had a growing population last year. These are Aheloy, Ahtopol, Kiten, Nessebar, Obzor, Pomorie, Primorsko, Sveti Vlas, Sozopol and Chernomorets.
Next is the Kardzhali district, in which, in addition to the district center, Ardino, Jebel and Momchilgrad have also increased their population, or residents are "increasing". 80 percent of the cities, which are five in total.
In the regions of Pazardzhik, Sofia region and Stara Zagora, there are three cities each with an increasing population. In Pazardzhik, these are Kostandovo, Peshtera and Rakitovo, in Sofia region – Dolna Banya, Elin Pelin and Koprivshtitsa, and in the third region – Gurkovo, Nikolaevo and Pavel Banya.
In nine districts are located two of the cities with increasing population. These are in Blagoevgradsko – Bansko and Melnik, in Varna – Byala and the regional center, in Veliko Tarnovo – the regional town and Zlataritsa, in Vidinsko – Dimovo and Dunavtsi, in Kyustendilsko – Boboshevo and Sapareva Banya, in Loveshko – Letnitsa and Ugarchin, in Plovdiv – the regional center and Sadovo, in Rusensko – Vetovo and Glodjevo and in Sofia-city – Bankya and the capital.
The rest of the cities are located in the regions of Dobrich – Balchik, Pernik – Zemen, Sliven – Kermen, Haskovo – Madjarovo, Shumen – Willow.
Six regional centers lose more than 1,000 inhabitants in 2023
Of all regional centers in the country, six decreased by more than 1,000 people last year, according to the data comparison. These are Vidin, Vratsa, Dobrich, Montana, Pleven and Ruse. The population of Dobrich is decreasing the most – 1536 people. Pleven lost 1179 people from its population. The inhabitants of Montana are less with 1165. The other two centers in Northwestern Bulgaria – Vratsa and Vidin lost 1163 and 1055 people respectively from their population.
In Ruse on the Danube, the inhabitants decreased by 1018.
Of the regional towns with more than 800 people, the population of Yambol is decreasing – by 886. By more than 700, the inhabitants of Haskovo decrease – with 788, Sliven – with 735 and Pernik – with 730. In four regional centers the population decreased by more than 500 people. Shumen lost 587 inhabitants, Pazardzhik – 568 women, Gabrovo – 554 women, and Lovech – 541 people.
In Kyustendil and Silistra, the population decreased by more than 400 people. The town in Western Bulgaria has become smaller by 475 people, and the Danube – by 457. The decrease of the population in Stara Zagora and Smolyan is by more than 300 people, and in the first city the decrease is by 375 inhabitants, and in the second – with 328 g.
Razgrad and Targovishte have fewer residents by over 200 people, with a drop of 275 people and 229 people, respectively. The last two regional centers with a decrease in population are Blagoevgrad and Burgas, which lost 178 and 128 of their residents, respectively. .
Asenovgrad, Kazanlak and Dimitrovgrad are the largest non-regional cities in the country
The report indicates that at the end of last year, all the cities in the ten largest non-regional settlements lost different numbers of their population. Asenovgrad, Kazanlak and Dimitrovgrad are in the top 3 in terms of population among these cities.
Asenovgrad has 45,322 people, Kazanlak – with 41,657, and Dimitrovgrad – with 30,620. The ranking of the largest non-regional cities continues with Dupnitsa (26,527 population), Petrich (26,018 population), Gorna Oryahovitsa (25,279 population), Samokov (24,024 population), Sandanski (23,649 women), Velingrad (20,015 women) and Karlovo (19,016 women).
Of the non-regional cities, Dimitrovgrad has lost the most residents
At the end of last year, Dimitrovgrad was at the head of the negative ranking for the largest decrease in population among non-regional cities. It has lost 567 people from its inhabitants. Right after it is Gorna Oryahovitsa, which has 485 less inhabitants. After them in this ranking comes Dupnitsa, whose inhabitants decreased by 446 people.
Four other non-regional cities decreased by more than 300 people in the past year, the data show. Karlovo decreases by 357 inhabitants, Karnobat – with 349 women, Lom – with 338 women, and Svishtov with 302 women
By more than 200 people, the population of another six cities is decreasing. The population of Troyan decreased by 273 people, and of Mezdra – with 250 d. Provadia lost 232 of its inhabitants, Cherven bryag – 230, and Popovo and Sevlievo – according to 202.
The data show that White Church and Straldzha have decreased with the least number of inhabitants in the past year – with 9 inhabitants each, Kuklen, Suhindol and Harmanli – with 8 women each, Dolni Dabnik – with 6 women, Dobrinishte – with 5 women, Rila – with 4 women, Alfatar, Gramada, Malko Tarnovo, Pliska and Sarnitsa – with 3 women each, Belovo, Devnya and Kaolinovo – with 2 women each, and with one person each – Bolyarovo and Brusartsi.
In 20 Bulgarian cities there are more men than women, in two they are equal
At the end of last year, 20 of the Bulgarian cities had more men than women.
"The Strong" gender prevails in Alfatar, Batak, Belene, Bobov dol, Boychinovtsi, Zemen, Zlataritsa, Kaolinovo, Kostandovo, Kren, Madjarovo, Melnik, Obzor, Rakitovo, Senovo, Straldzha, Sarnitsa, Tvarditsa, Ugarchin and Shivachevo.
In 2023, there are only two cities in which an equal number of men and women live. These are Beloslav (3334 men and women each) and Pliska (386 men and women each).