Bulgaria's population has decreased by about 2.5 million people since the beginning of the 90s of the 20- and a century. This is due both to trends such as the decline in the birth rate and the aging of the population, as well as to country-specific factors such as significant emigration, especially in the period 2012-2019. The data is from a report of the Council for Economic Analysis to the Council of Ministers.
The former minister of labor and social policy Hristina Hristova believes that the demographic problem should be a top priority for Bulgaria and the EU. "We have had a negative growth since 1985. In 1989, we were 9 million, and in 20 years we decreased from 7.8 million to 6.4 million (2023 data). Three processes have a negative impact - the low birth rate, mortality, migration. There are also subjective reasons that we must try to overcome with management decisions. The reduction of the population and the workforce are the most serious consequences of the demographic crisis," she pointed out in the studio of "Your Day".
For his part, Associate Professor Kosyo Stoychev from the Department of "Regional and Political Geography" at Sofia University, commented that in the next 10-15 years Bulgaria will experience a serious demographic transition until another structural state is stabilized. "Due to our serious demographic problems, we cannot take advantage of the relocation of a number of industries and the EC's attempts to restructure the industrialization policy. The country has historically low levels of unemployment, we have fully occupied potential for the development of economic sectors . However, we are not yet an attractive center for highly specialized professionals. Bulgaria could create a "green card" type system that would open our doors for those who wish to move to our country, he noted.
According to him, the distribution of "heaps" money is unlikely to significantly increase the birth rate.