site.btaBulgarian Population Shrinks by 48,414 Persons in 2015

Bulgarian Population Shrinks by 48,414 Persons in 2015

Sofia, April 15 (BTA) - As at December 2015, the Bulgarian population totalled 7,153,784 persons, down by 48,414 persons or 0.7 per cent from 2014, said Magdalena Kostova, Director of the National Statistical Institute's Demographic and Social Statistics Directorate. She presented the data on Population and Demographic Processes 2015 at a news conference here Friday.

Men numbered 3,477,177 (48.6 per cent) and women 3,676,607 (51.4 per cent), meaning there were 1,000 men per 1,057 women.

The process of the population's aging continues. At the end of 2015, people aged 65 and over totalled 1,461,786 people (20.4 per cent), up by 0.4 percentage points from 2014 and by 3.5 percentage points from 2001. The aging process is more strongly expressed among women: those aged over 65 constitute 23.7 per cent, compared to 17 per cent for men in this age group. The difference is due to men's higher mortality rate and, consequently, their lower average life expectancy.

The relative share of people aged 65 and over was the highest in the regions of Vidin (28.5 per cent), Gabrovo (25.7 per cent), and Lovech (26.1 per cent). In 18 regions this share was above the country's average. The lowest share of people aged 65 and over was recorded in the regions of Sofia (16.8 per cent), Blagoevrad (18 per cent), and Varna (18 per cent).

At the end of last year, children aged up to 15 numbered 998,206 or 14 per cent of the population, up by 0.1 percentage points from their share in 2014. Newborns totalled 65,950, which is by 1,635 children less compared to the previous year.

The relative share of people aged up to 15 was highest in the regions of Sliven (18.1 per cent) and Bourgas (15.3 per cent). In 15 regions this share is below the country's average, the lowest having been recorded in the regions of Gabrovo (11.3 per cent), Smolyan (11.4 per cent), Pernik (11.8 per cent), and Kyustendil (11.9 per cent).

The total age dependency coefficient stood at 52.4 per cent last year, or there were less than two persons in active age per one person aged below 15 or above 65. In comparison, this coefficient was 44.5 and 51 per cent in 2005 and 2014, respectively. The age dependency ratio was more favourable in cities (47.8 per cent) than in villages (66.4 per cent)

The population's aging leads to an increase in its average age, which was 40.4 years in 2001, 41.2 years in 2005 and 43.3 years in late 2015. The aging process is observed both in villages and cities, where last year the average age was 46.1 and 42.3 per cent, respectively.

Kostova summarized that Bulgaria's population continues to shrink and age, the imbalance in the population's territorial distribution is deepening, and the absolute number of newborns and the total birthrate coefficient are decreasing, while the total mortality coefficient is increasing. She outlined as positive trends the drop in child mortality, the increasing number of civil marriages and the decreasing number of divorces.