Bulgaria’s population decreased by one million people since 1989, Associated Press (AP) reported.

The number of people in the country reached 7.7 million.

Bulgaria is also the EU member country having the lowest birth rate in the union, data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) shows.
 
In case immigration levels remain the same and the high mortality rate is maintained Bulgaria could lose up to a third of its population in several decades, AP reported.

According to analysis of the Population Reference Bureau in Washington, Bulgaria’s population will decrease by 35 per cent in the period from 2005 to 2050. 

Despite high economic growth, Bulgaria’s standards of living are still low, AP reported. The average monthly income is 180 euro. A number of Bulgarians move to other countries in attempts to find better employment and living conditions.
 
Bulgaria’s birth rate went down from 12.1 per 100 in 1990 to 9.6 in 2006. At the same time the mortality rate in the country is above European averages.