Bulgaria Capital Sofia Grew by 26 000 in 4 Years

There are 144 villages without even 1 resident in Bulgaria's Northwest while the population of towns and villages is growing progressively older. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Bulgaria's capital Sofia grew by 26 000 residents between 2004 and 2008, data from the National Statistics Institute (NSI) reveals.

Official data shows that 1 221 157 people lived in Sofia in 2004 while in 2008 they numbered 1 247 059. The figure, however, only includes those with permanent addresses. Unofficial estimates list Sofia's residents at over 2 million, with a staggering number of people who do not register their addresses in the capital.

Meanwhile, the population in the entire Southwestern Region is decreasing with the villages and towns near Sofia losing most residents – in 2008 they are down by 7 812 compared to 2003. The same trend is valid for the Region's largest cities such as Blagoevgrad, Pernik and Kyustendil.

NSI experts point out the trend for people to relocate to largest cities and especially to the capital is something common for countries that have made the transition to a market economy.

In the spring of 2008, NSI published data showing the Bulgarian population is going down in all regions, except in those of Sofia, Varna and Burgas. The Northwestern Region, where the cities of Vidin, Vratsa, Montana and Pleven are located, is losing people at the fastest rate. There are 144 villages without even one resident in Bulgaria's Northwest.

By the end of 2008, Bulgaria had a population of 7,6 million people and 70% of them lived in cities and larger towns.

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