Population has shrunk in nearly 90% of Bulgaria's major settlements since 2011

Only 23 Bulgarian cities have increased their population in the last ten years, with the largest increase in the capital, where during this period the population has grown by the number of inhabitants of a small town. The population of the remaining 231 cities has decreased, almost 90 per cent of all major settlements in the country have fewer people than 10 years ago.

This is shown by the calculations of BTA when comparing the data of the National Register of Populated Places of the National Statistical Institute as of December 31, 2011 and of the same date last year.

The most accurate demographic picture in the settlements in the country will become clear after the upcoming census.

Compared to 2011, the population of the capital has increased by 13,688 people to 1,221,785 by the end of 2020; followed by Plovdiv with an increase of 3,864 people to 342,048 at the end of 2020 and Nessebar with an increase of 3,549 people to 14,080 at the end of 2020.

The province capitals that have lost the most inhabitants (more than 10,000) for the last 10 years are Pleven, Ruse and Stara Zagora. Among the other cities for the studied period, Svishtov lost the most inhabitants: 6,270 people.