8,000 Bulgarians returned to Bulgaria and nearly 12,000 left the country in 2023. Magdalena Kostova, director of the Demographic and Social Statistics Directorate at the NSI, told the "Horizon" program of the BNR. 65% of those leaving the country are aged 24 to 49. The most preferred emigration destinations for Bulgarians in 2023 were Germany, UK, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Belgium, as the reasons for emigration are better living conditions, remuneration, education.

In addition to emigration, a contribution to the demographic problem that Bulgaria faces is the low birth rate and high premature mortality. In 2023, one out five died under the age of 65, which speaks of poor prevention and insufficient access to healthcare. Kostova also said that in the 60s of the 20th century the movement of people in the country was from villages to cities, but now it is from smaller cities to larger ones. The most attractive ones are Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas.