Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria's infant mortality rate falling, but still above EU average

Christina de Bruin
Photo: BGNES

Data on child mortality in Bulgaria show a significant decrease: between 2000 and 2022, the under-5 mortality rate fell from 18 per thousand to 6 per thousand. This is according to the latest report of the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME). 

For children up to 1 year of age, the rate is 4.8‰, which, despite the positive downward trend, is still significantly higher than the EU average (3.2‰ in 2021). There are significant regional differences in the indicator, with some administrative districts (e.g. Sliven and Montana) more than twice the national average. According to Christina de Bruin, UNICEF Representative in Bulgaria, serious investment in primary health care is needed if Bulgaria's infant mortality rate is to reach the European average. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Turkish-Azerbaijani consortium could buy Lukoil's business in Bulgaria

A consortium of Azerbaijan's state company SOCAR and Turkish private holding Cengiz is the preferred candidate for the business of Russian company Lukoil in Bulgaria, Dnevnik has reported, quoting Capital. Last month, CEO and co-owner..

published on 8/14/25 3:51 PM

Bulgarian Posts warn of risk of more counterfeit lev banknotes by the end of the year

Bulgarian Posts have started training a total of 3,000 employees in 2,230 post offices in connection with the adoption of the euro in Bulgaria and the exchange of levs for euros. This was what Stanimir Belinov, deputy director of the..

published on 8/14/25 3:36 PM

Bulgaria's GDP grows by 3.1% in the last three months

In the second quarter of 2025, Bulgaria's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 3.1% compared to the second quarter of the previous year and by 0.7% compared to the first quarter of 2025, according to NSI data, BGNES informs. According to..

published on 8/14/25 12:15 PM