Bulgaria's Population Growth at -5.5% in 2012

Bulgaria's population growth rate keeps decreasing, according to a report on the implementation of the demographic strategy for 2012.

The negative population growth in 2012 was -5.5%, compared to -5.1% in 2011, and -4.6% in 2010, according to statistics presented by the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).

According to the report, the population decline is mostly due to the negative trends observed in villages, where the population is decreasing at a faster pace.

The share of extra-marital births has been steadily increasing since 1991, reaching the level of 57.4% in 2012 from a rate of 18.5% in 1992.

The highest number of extramarital births was recorded in the districts of Lovech, 76% , Vidin, 73%, and Sliven, 73%, while the lowest  rates were recorded in Kardzhali, 41.5%, Blagoevgrad 41%, and in Sofia, 48%.

The crude birth rate in cities was 9.7% and in villages 8.8%.

The number of women of childbearing age in end-2012 was 1.625 million, down by nearly 26 000 from the previous year.

In 2012, the death rate in Bulgaria remained high.

Over 109 000 people died in the country in 2012, and the crude death rate was 15%, up by 0.9% on an annual basis.

The EU average crude death rate in 2012 was 9.6%.

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