Bulgaria’s population was 7.7 million in the end of 2005 and decreasing

As at the end of 2005, Bulgaria’s permanent resident population was 7,718,750, according to an estimate released by the National Statistical Institute (NSI) on Friday. The country’s population decreased 0.5 per cent in a year, the NSI said.

The urban population is estimated at 70.2 per cent of the country’s total population as at the end of 2005.

The mean age in 2005 was 41.2 years. The average life span in 2003-2005 was 72.55 years.

The nation’s labour force totalled 4,814,000 as at the end of 2005 (62.4 per cent of the total population), 32,000 more than a year earlier.

The year 2005 saw 71,640 births, 99.2 per cent of which were live births. There were 9.2 live births per 1,000 population.

The proportion of out-of-wedlock births to total births increased to 49.0 per cent in 2005 from 25.8 per cent in 1995.

Deaths in 2005 totalled 113,374. The mortality rate was 14.6 deaths per 1,000 population. Infant mortality stood at 10.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, down from 17.5 in 1997.

Natural population growth (the result of births and deaths, not taking into account migration) over the year was minus 5.4 per 1,000 population.

There were 33,501 weddings and 14,676 divorces in 2005.