There were 5549 applications for Bulgarian citizenship in 2009, the lowest figure in nine years, according to statistics released by Vice President Angel Marin.
 
Of the 114 508 applications lodged between 2002 and 2009, the peak was in 2004, when 29 493 applications were filed. Every year since 2004 has seen a decline in the number of applications.
 
Between 2002 and 2009, a total of 47 891 applications were granted, with 2009 seeing a new record at 9098. Of the total applications granted in the seven-year period, most were on the grounds of the applicants having Bulgarian origins: 46 874.
 
From the beginning of 2002 to the end of 2009, 10 570 applications were turned down.
 
In the same period, 4836 people gave up their Bulgarian citizenship. The citizenship of 16 people who had become Bulgarians by naturalisation was revoked.
 
Of those given Bulgarian citizenship between 2002 and 2009, most were from Macedonia (21 947), followed by Moldova (15 753), Russia (2344), Serbia (2066), Ukraine (1902), Israel (1280) and Albania (601).
 
Marin said that with the rate of applications decreasing, while the number of applications processed was increasing, the backlog in processing citizenship applications should disappear naturally.
 
Bozhidar Dimitrov, who was appointed minister in charge of Bulgarians abroad in Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s Cabinet in July 2009, has said that the Government intends tabling legislation to speed the processing of citizenship applications and ease the granting of citizenship to certain groups including people who have completed their studies at Bulgarian universities and those married to Bulgarians.
 
There has been tension between Dimitrov and Marin after Marin expressed concern that Dimitrov was intruding on his turf, because while the Justice Ministry accepts and processes citizenship applications, the Vice President has the final say – under delegated authority from the head of state – over the granting of citizenship.