site.btaBulgaria Among EU Countries Facing Steady Population Decline, European Commission Report Finds

Bulgaria is among the European Union countries experiencing a steady population decline, according to a report presented by the European Commission on Tuesday.

According to the third report on demographic transformation in the EU, Europe's population is set to shrink and age, creating challenges for the labour market, healthcare, care systems and public finances. But longer, healthier lives also offer opportunities to boost participation, innovation and growth. Through targeted policies on skills, care, housing and regional development, the EU is helping Member States mitigate the effects of demographic change.

The report shows that populations are steadily declining in Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, eastern parts of Poland and Germany, southern Italy, and rural areas of the Iberian Peninsula.

Bulgaria's median age reached 47 in 2025, compared with 43 a decade earlier. The report also notes that in Bulgaria, as well as in Italy and Estonia, professionals providing care for older people earn about 65% of the national average wage, while in the remaining EU member states they receive less than 80% of the national average salary. According to the report, life expectancy in Bulgaria is projected to reach 90 years by 2100.

The European Commission warns that Europe's population will continue to shrink and age, creating challenges for the labour market, healthcare, long-term care systems, and public finances. The report notes that Europeans today are living longer than ever before, with life expectancy exceeding 81 years. The EU's population is projected to reach around 445 million by 2050 and decline to 398.8 million by 2100 - about 11.7% lower than in the 1970s. By 2050, nearly one in three EU residents is expected to be at least 65 years old, compared with one in five today.

Around 20% of people of working age in the European Union are outside the labour market, while 8 million young people are neither in education nor employment, according to the report. Employment among people aged 55-64 has increased compared with several decades ago, the data show.

The report states that skilled migrants play an important role in addressing labour shortages and can help mitigate the effects of Europe's ageing population. According to the projections, increasing longevity will drive greater demand for healthcare services, with the number of people requiring support expected to rise from 36 million to 48 million by 2070. By that time, the share of people aged over 80 is also projected to double.