YES
2A. Population by age group (2023)
–
NO
YES
fertility ratepercentage 65+ years percentage 85+ years
16.8 total years
12.8 years Healthy life expectancy
4 years 24%
of remaining life expectancy will be lived with functional limitations
32%
Bulgaria Country profile for healthy ageing and care
1B. Income group (2025)
High income 1C. Gini index (2023)
39.5 1A. GDPᵃ per capita (2024)
US$ 17 597
Fig. 2. Population structure and projections
Fig. 3. Life expectancy at age 60 (2021)
Fig. 4. National strategies and action plans in implementation, by policy area
Long-term care
Age-friendly environments
Action on ageism
Integrated primary health care
2B. Share of persons 60+ years living in rural areas (2024)
6.7 28.5%
million persons (total)
1.9 million persons 60+ years
71.5%
60+ yearsUnder 60 years
2C. Population projections up to 2100 (2024)
Fig. 1. Macroeconomic indicators
Year
To ta
l fe rti
lit y r
at e
(li ve
b irt
hs p
er w
om an
)
Pe rc
en ta
ge
ᵃGDP: gross domestic product. Sources: World Bank (1–3).
Sources: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (4); United Nations Statistics Division (5).
Source: WHO (6).
Note: provided on request by country focal points as part of the Mid-term Evaluation: United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030). Source: WHO (7).
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Percentage of persons 65+ years receiving long-term care at residential care facilities or at home –
2
Fig. 5. Risk factors for functional decline
Prevalence of insufficient physical activity in persons 60+ years
Incidence rate of falls in persons 60+ years (per 100 000 population)
6B. Causes of years of healthy life lost due to disability6A. Causes of death
Ischaemic heart disease
COVID-19ᵃ
Stroke
Hypertensive heart disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers
Colon and rectum cancers
Kidney diseases
Diabetes mellitus
Breast cancer
Back and neck pain
Diabetes mellitus
Other hearing loss
Osteoarthritis
Stroke
Depressive disorders
Alzheimer's disease and other dementias
Oral conditions
Falls
Exposure to mechanical forces
2385 < 49.6%
Fig. 6. Main causes of death and disability for persons 60+ years (2021)
52.9%
7A. Prevalence of vision impairments in persons 60+ years
Fig. 7. Prevalence of sensory and physical limitations
30.2%
7B. Prevalence of hearing impairments in persons 60+ years
29.1%
7C. Share of persons aged 65+ years with limiting illness
Fig. 8. Long-term care 8A. Service coverage
Formal long-term care workers in institutions (per 100 000 population 65+ years)
Formal long-term care workers at home (per 100 000 population 65+ years) –
–
8B. Workforce
Policy or legislation integrating palliative care into the health system
Policies on the comprehensive assessment of health and social care needs
8C. Care system integration
YES
YES
Sources: WHO (7, 8); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (11).
Sources: WHO (8); Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (9).
ᵃCOVID-19: coronavirus disease. Source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (9).
Note: WHO country consultation process was not carried out for this indicator by Eurostat. Sources: WHO (8); Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (9); Eurostat (10).
3
One person 65+ years Couple living with other persons Other type of householdCouple living alone
– 57% 6.0% 2.1%
10A. Persons 65+ years living in age-friendly cities and communities
10B. Life satisfaction score of persons 65+ years
10C. Persons 65+ years meeting family or relatives once a month
10D. Severe housing deprivation rate of persons 65+ years
41.8% 31.7% 10.2% 16.3%
Persons above retirement age receiving pension93%
Below 65 years
65–74ᵃ years
75+ years
20.2%
21.9%
28.2%
Fig. 9. Availability of training on healthy ageing and care
National programmes for informal caregivers
National programmes for formal caregivers
YES
YES
Fig. 11. Household arrangements
Fig. 10. Age-friendly environments and community support
Fig. 12. Income security and poverty
12A. Financial and income insecurity 12B. Share of population below poverty line, by age group
Note: including training conducted to caregivers for persons 60+ years. Source: WHO (7).
Note: WHO country consultation process was not carried out for this indicator by Eurostat. Sources: WHO (8); Eurostat (10).
Note: WHO country consultation process was not carried out for this indicator by Eurostat. Source: Eurostat (10).
ᵃEstimates. Note: WHO country consultation process was not carried out for this indicator by Eurostat. Sources: Eurostat (10); United Nations (12).
Integrated primary health care
Long-term care
Age-friendly environments
Action on ageism
No resources SubstantialAdequate LimitedVery limited
4
Fig. 13. Availability of nationally representative data on healthy ageing
Cross-sectional data on persons 60+ years
Longitudinal surveys on persons 60+ years NO
NO
Fig. 14. Availability of human and financial resources, by policy area
© World Health Organization 2026. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO licence.
Background document and country profiles of all Member-States of WHO European Region: Ageing is living: implementation approaches for healthy ageing and care in the WHO European Region. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2026 (https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/387392). Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
The country profiles draw primarily on data from the Ageing Data Portal (7, 8), complemented by selected indicators from other sources. As new data become available, updated indicators will be made available through the central Ageing Data Portal.
Document number: WHO/EURO:2026-13778-53552-84155 (PDF)
Note: data collected since 2010. Source: WHO (7).
Note: data provided on request by country focal points as part of the Mid-term Evaluation: United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030). Source: WHO (7).
All references were accessed on 8 September 2026.1
References 1
1.World development indicators: GDP per capita (current US$) [online database]. Washington (DC): World Bank; 2026 (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD).
2.World development indicators: Gini index [online database]. Washington (DC): World Bank; 2026 (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI).
3.World Bank country and lending groups [website]. Washington (DC): World Bank; 2026 (https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups).
4.World population prospects 2024 [online database]. New York: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division; 2024 (https://population.un.org/wpp/).
5.Demographic and social statistics [online database]. New York: United Nations Statistics Division; 2024 (https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/products/dyb/).
6.Global Health Estimates: Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy (WHOSIS_000015; WHOSIS_000007) [online database]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021 (https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-life-expectancy-and- healthy-life-expectancy).
7.Sexual and reproductive health and rights data portal: ageing demographics [online database]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2026 (https://platform.who.int/data/maternal-newborn-child-adolescent-ageing/ageing-data).
8.Sexual and reproductive health and rights data portal: indicators [online database]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2026 (https://platform.who.int/data/maternal-newborn-child-adolescent-ageing/indicator-explorer-new).
9.Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD) [online database]. Seattle (WA): Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation; 2022 (https://www.healthdata.org/research-analysis/gbd).
10. Income and living conditions [online database]. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union; 2025 (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/income-and-living-conditions/database). (Data retrieved on life satisfaction (ilc_pw01), social contact frequency (ilc_scp09), severe housing deprivation (ilc_mdho06a), household type distribution 65+ (ilc_lvps30), at-risk-of-poverty rate by age (ilc_li02), self-perceived activity limitation (hlth_silc_06, exact code to be confirmed.)
11.Health care resources: long-term care [online database]. Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; 2024 (https://data-explorer.oecd.org/?fs[0]=Topic,1%7CHealth%23HEA%23%7CLong- term%20care%23HEA_LTC%23&pg=0&fc=Topic&bp=true&snb=4).
12. Indicator 1.3.1(b): proportion of population above statutory pensionable age receiving a pension [online database]. New York: United Nations Statistics Division; 2024 (https://w3.unece.org/SDG/en/Indicator?id=36).
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo/ https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/387392 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo/ https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-life-expectancy-and-healthy-life-expectancy https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-life-expectancy-and-healthy-life-expectancy https://platform.who.int/data/maternal-newborn-child-adolescent-ageing/ageing-data https://platform.who.int/data/maternal-newborn-child-adolescent-ageing/indicator-explorer-new https://data-explorer.oecd.org/?fs[0]=Topic,1%7CHealth%23HEA%23%7CLong-term%20care%23HEA_LTC%23&pg=0&fc=Topic&bp=true&snb=4 https://data-explorer.oecd.org/?fs[0]=Topic,1%7CHealth%23HEA%23%7CLong-term%20care%23HEA_LTC%23&pg=0&fc=Topic&bp=true&snb=4
Bulgaria Country profile for healthy ageing and care US$ 17 597
6.7 1.9 32% 24%
Fig. 5. Risk factors for functional decline < 49.6% Prevalence of insufficient physical activity in persons 60+ years
2385 Incidence rate of falls in persons 60+ years (per 100 000 population)
Fig. 6. Main causes of death and disability for persons 60+ years (2021) 6A. Causes of death Ischaemic heart disease COVID-19ᵃ Stroke Hypertensive heart disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers Colon and rectum cancers Kidney diseases Diabetes mellitus Breast cancer
6B. Causes of years of healthy life lost due to disability Back and neck pain Diabetes mellitus Other hearing loss Osteoarthritis Stroke Depressive disorders Alzheimer's disease and other dementias Oral conditions Falls Exposure to mechanical forces
Fig. 7. Prevalence of sensory and physical limitations 7A. Prevalence of vision impairments in persons 60+ years
52.9% 7B. Prevalence of hearing impairments in persons 60+ years
30.2% 7C. Share of persons aged 65+ years with limiting illness
29.1% Fig. 8. Long-term care 8A. Service coverage Percentage of persons 65+ years receiving long-term care at residential care facilities or at home
8B. Workforce Formal long-term care workers in institutions (per 100 000 population 65+ years) Formal long-term care workers at home (per 100 000 population 65+ years)
8C. Care system integration Policy or legislation integrating palliative care into the health system
YES Policies on the comprehensive assessment of health and social care needs
YES Fig. 9. Availability of training on healthy ageing and care National programmes for formal caregivers YES National programmes for informal caregivers
YES
Fig. 10. Age-friendly environments and community support
57% 6.0% 2.1% 10A. Persons 65+ years living in age-friendly cities and communities 10B. Life satisfaction score of persons 65+ years 10C. Persons 65+ years meeting family or relatives once a month 10D. Severe housing deprivation rate of persons 65+ years Fig. 11. Household arrangements
41.8% 31.7% 10.2% 16.3% Fig. 12. Income security and poverty 12A. Financial and income insecurity 12B. Share of population below poverty line, by age group
93% Persons above retirement age receiving pension Below 65 years 65–74ᵃ years 75+ years 20.2% 21.9% 28.2%
Fig. 13. Availability of nationally representative data on healthy ageing Cross-sectional data on persons 60+ years NO Longitudinal surveys on persons 60+ years
NO
Fig. 14. Availability of human and financial resources, by policy area No resources Very limited Limited Adequate Substantial Long-term care Age-friendly environments Action on ageism Integrated primary health care
References World development indicators: GDP per capita (current US$) [online database]. Washington (DC): World Bank; 2026 (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD). World development indicators: Gini index [online database]. Washington (DC): World Bank; 2026 (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI). World Bank country and lending groups [website]. Washington (DC): World Bank; 2026 (https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups). World population prospects 2024 [online database]. New York: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division; 2024 (https://population.un.org/wpp/). Demographic and social statistics [online database]. New York: United Nations Statistics Division; 2024 (https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/products/dyb/). Global Health Estimates: Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy (WHOSIS_000015; WHOSIS_000007) [online database]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021 (https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-life-expectancy-and-healthy-life-expectancy). Sexual and reproductive health and rights data portal: ageing demographics [online database]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2026 (https://platform.who.int/data/maternal-newborn-child-adolescent-ageing/ageing-data). Sexual and reproductive health and rights data portal: indicators [online database]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2026 (https://platform.who.int/data/maternal-newborn-child-adolescent-ageing/indicator-explorer-new).
Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD) [online database]. Seattle (WA): Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation; 2022 (https://www.healthdata.org/research-analysis/gbd). Income and living conditions [online database]. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union; 2025 (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/income-and-living-conditions/database). (Data retrieved on life satisfaction (ilc_pw01), social contact frequency (ilc_scp09), severe housing deprivation (ilc_mdho06a), household type distribution 65+ (ilc_lvps30), at-risk-of-poverty rate by age (ilc_li02), self-perceived activity limitation (hlth_silc_06, exact code to be confirmed.) Health care resources: long-term care [online database]. Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; 2024 (https://data-explorer.oecd.org/?fs[0]=Topic,1%7CHealth%23HEA%23%7CLong-term%20care%23HEA_LTC%23&pg=0&fc=Topic&bp=true&snb=4). Indicator 1.3.1(b): proportion of population above statutory pensionable age receiving a pension [online database]. New York: United Nations Statistics Division; 2024 (https://w3.unece.org/SDG/en/Indicator?id=36). All references were accessed on 8 September 2026. Background document and country profiles of all Member-States of WHO European Region: Ageing is living: implementation approaches for healthy ageing and care in the WHO European Region. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2026 (https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/387392). Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. The country profiles draw primarily on data from the Ageing Data Portal (7, 8), complemented by selected indicators from other sources. As new data become available, updated indicators will be made available through the central Ageing Data Portal. Document number: WHO/EURO:2026-13778-53552-84155 (PDF) © World Health Organization 2026. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO licence.