|
The population of Bulgaria numbers 8 384 871. The average density of the population
is 76,2 people per a square kilometre which is higher than the European norm (66
people per a square kilometre). The number of the town population (68,3%) prevails
over the number of the rural population. The birth rate is comparatively low -
10,7%o and the death rate is comparatively high - 12,2%o, which defines the negative
population growth of the latest years (-1,5%). The number of the active population
has decreased (21,3%) while the number of the non-active population has increased
(22,7%). The main part of the population are Bulgarians numbering 7 200 000. Beside
them in the country live 800 000 Bulgarian Turks, 300 000 Gypsies and small number
of Jews, Armenians, Russians and Greeks. The official religion is Eastern Orthodox
which is professed by 86,6% of the population. 13,1% of the population profess
Islam and 0,3 profess other kinds of religion.
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16% (male 696,131; female 662,335)
15-64 years: 68% (male 2,756,695; female 2,812,192)
65 years and over: 16% (male 564,698; female 748,375)
(July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.6% (1998 est.)
Birth rate:
8.08 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate:
13.24 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
(1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
12.78 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.96 years
male: 68.39 years
female: 75.74 years
(1998 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.14 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bulgarian(s)
adjective: Bulgarian
Ethnic groups:
Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Gypsy 2.6%, Macedonian 2.5%, Armenian 0.3%, Russian
0.2%, other 0.6%
Religions:
Bulgarian Orthodox 85%, Muslim 13%, Jewish 0.8%, Roman Catholic 0.5%, Uniate Catholic
0.2%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 0.5%
Languages:
Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97%
(1992 est.)
Partly due to its mountainous terrain, Bulgaria's population density is one
of the lowest in Eastern Europe, about 81 persons per square kilometer (207/sq.
mi.). About two-thirds of the people live in urban areas, compared to one-third
in 1956. Sofia, the capital, is the largest city
. Other major cities are Plovdiv-site of a major annual international trade
fair, the Black Sea cities of Varna and Burgas, and Ruse on the Danube River.
The principal religious organization is the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, to which
most Bulgarians belong. Other religions include Islam, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism,
and Judaism. Before 1989, religious activity was discouraged by the Bulgarian
Communist Party, but its new leadership has pledged to support the rights of all
citizens to worship freely.
Bulgarian is the primary language spoken in the country, although some secondary
languages closely correspond to ethnic divisions. The most important of these
is Turkish, which is widely spoken by the Turkish minority. From 1984-89, the
government, in effect, banned the use of the Turkish language in public. The new
leadership has repudiated that policy. Russian, which shares the Cyrillic alphabet
and many words with Bulgarian, is widely understood.
Education is free and compulsory to age 15. Scientific, technical, and vocational
training is stressed.
|
