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

NSI: 201 ghost villages in Bulgaria without a single inhabitant

Photo: .nsi.bg

Sofia is the largest municipality in Bulgaria by population, while Plovdiv has overtaken Varna to take second place. Burgas retains its position as the country's fourth largest city, while Stara Zagora now ranks fifth, displacing Ruse. 


These shifts in the ranking of the 20 largest municipalities by population have been recorded by the National Statistical Institute for the period from 2014 to 2023. In particular, Kardzhali has experienced remarkable growth, rising from 19th to 16th place.


As of 31 December 2023, there were 201 settlements without a single inhabitant, mainly concentrated in the central Balkan region, in the regions of Veliko Tarnovo (67), Gabrovo (67), Kyustendil (10) and Kardzhali (9). In addition, 1,453 villages, representing 27.6% of the settlements, have populations ranging from 1 to 49 persons. Notably, there are six cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, accounting for 35.2% of the total population.




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

Ekaterina Kvaratskhelia from Georgia: Peace is a blessing that we should not take for granted

In 1992, a child from Georgia packed her entire life into a small black canvas bag to escape the horror of the bombs… The war through her eyes and the most terrible memories that mark her entire life are described in the..

published on 4/15/25 12:55 PM

Bosilegrad hosts the 32nd edition of the Children's Easter Festival

For the 32nd time, the Children's Easter Festival will bring together Bulgarian children from different countries in Bosilegrad, Serbia, giving them a chance not only to showcase their skills in crafting the most beautiful and original Easter eggs but..

published on 4/15/25 12:20 PM

INSAIT has been positioning Bulgaria on the world's technological map for 3 years

Since its establishment on April 11, 2022, the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology – INSAIT has achieved a number of successes and continues to position Bulgaria on the world's technological map...

published on 4/11/25 12:23 PM