Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Sofia registers decline in population for the first time in 30 years

Sofia's Vitosha boulevard
Photo: BGNES

At the end of 2020, the population of Bulgaria was estimated at 6.9 million people. This is a decrease of 2.1 million people, or 23% compared to 1990. 

During this period, Sofia was the only city that increased its population from 1.12 million people in 1990 to 1.33 million people in 2019

In 2020, Sofia residents decreased by 1.53%, or 20,378 people to 1,308,412 inhabitants. This has not happened since 2001, when Sofia's population fell to 1.09 million people. But then it continued to grow.

According to experts, the data of the National Statistical Institute clearly show that the Bulgaria's smaller towns and villages no longer have the resources to supply Sofia with new residents. 

The pandemic made remote work possible and reduced the attractiveness of the city,  investor.bg writes.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Construction of railway connection between Sofia and Skopje resumes

Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers of Transport Grozdan Karadzhov and Aleksandar Nikoloski signed an agreement in Gyueshevo for the construction of a railway tunnel between Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia. The facility..

published on 11/6/25 3:04 PM
Natalia Nikolova

Police neutralises channel for trafficking illegal migrants from Turkey to Serbia

The police have neutralized an organized crime group that transported migrants from Burgas through Sofia to the Serbian border, Sofia District Prosecutor Natalia Nikolova said at a briefing. She indicated that 13 addresses were..

published on 11/6/25 1:25 PM

Every third Bulgarian is ready to defend democracy, every fifth the homeland: survey

Democracy is consistently perceived by a solid majority in Bulgarian society as the best form of governance. Approximately 1.5 million citizens declare their willingness to risk their personal security to protect it, according to a representative study..

published on 11/6/25 11:53 AM