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

NSI: 201 ghost villages in Bulgaria without a single inhabitant

Photo: .nsi.bg

Sofia is the largest municipality in Bulgaria by population, while Plovdiv has overtaken Varna to take second place. Burgas retains its position as the country's fourth largest city, while Stara Zagora now ranks fifth, displacing Ruse. 


These shifts in the ranking of the 20 largest municipalities by population have been recorded by the National Statistical Institute for the period from 2014 to 2023. In particular, Kardzhali has experienced remarkable growth, rising from 19th to 16th place.


As of 31 December 2023, there were 201 settlements without a single inhabitant, mainly concentrated in the central Balkan region, in the regions of Veliko Tarnovo (67), Gabrovo (67), Kyustendil (10) and Kardzhali (9). In addition, 1,453 villages, representing 27.6% of the settlements, have populations ranging from 1 to 49 persons. Notably, there are six cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, accounting for 35.2% of the total population.




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

Icons made of flowers by Antonia Mirovalieva-Bojanina decorate the St. Sophia church

On the holiday of the Bulgarian capital city on September 17, when the Orthodox Church commemorates the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, icons made of flowers and natural materials decorated the ancient church..

published on 9/17/25 7:35 PM

Sofia – Historical routes

On September 17, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Holy Martyr Sophia and her three daughters Vyara, Nadezhda and Lyubov (Faith, Hope and Love), who died a martyr’s death in the name of their faith in Christ in the 1st century..

published on 9/17/25 11:22 AM

Bulgarian school in Egypt will reopen doors on September 18 after seven-year break

The Embassy of Bulgaria in the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of Sudan and the management of the Bulgarian School "St. Cyril and Methodius" in Cairo invite our compatriots to the opening of the 2025/2026 academic year. The event will take..

published on 9/16/25 2:49 PM