The Declining Birth Rate in Bulgaria - Demographics and Socio-Economic Effects

Abstract

The birth rate in Bulgaria has been continuously declining since the end of the 1950s. Only some slight increases of the birth rate in several two-or three-year periods are exceptions to this trend. The radical economic and social changes in the country are the main reasons for this decline at the beginning of the fore mentioned half-century period. The mass collectivization of agriculture and the rapid industrialization which were carried out in very short periods for such a small country had a very strong influence. They were also accompanied by an enormous migration of population from the villages to the cities in completely new conditions of economic and social dependence. The consequences of the emancipation of both sexes decreased responsibilities towards family and the birth and raising of children. However, the consequences for the women were more difficult. The women had to work not only to remain independent from the men, but also because the men were not able to support even a small family with one salary. On the other hand, the emancipated married woman aspired to professional and social realization, which delayed the desired birth and made them abstain from having more children. Under these conditions, the state became the regulator of the birth rate in order to promote it and support the women in balancing their professional and maternal roles. In the mid 1960s birth promotion measures were introduced, which included one-time benefits for birth, monthly child benefits, maternity leaves, benefits and preferences for young families, tax for single people within the age of reproduction, etc. However these funds were not enough to provide any assistance to most Bulgarian families. The consequences of this policy were mostly social because the benefits had more of a compensation effect for the mothers rather than a stimulating effect on raising the birth rate. Only in two short periods 1966-1968 and 1973-1974 a minimum increase of the birth rate was achieved when the promotion measures were introduced and completed. Another reason for this increase was that a greater number of women born during the demographic compensation after the World War II entered reproductive age. The birth rate continued to decline during the rest of the years, which illustrates the ineffectiveness of the implemented policy. This trend along with the slight and continuous increase of the death rate was expected to produce zero natural growth in 1991 or 1992. Actually, the natural growth was a negative figure (-0,4 %e) in 1990, which is accepted as the beginning of the country's transition towards a market economy. The birth rate declined further in this transition due to additional economic and social problems, which added to the above mentioned sound reasons. The high unemployment among the young people along with impoverishment and decline in the living standard of over 2/3 of the population led to a further decline in the birth rate and an increase in abortion. The negative influence of the mass immigration (over 700,000 peop...