More than 147,700 people died in Bulgaria in 2021, and the absolute number of deaths in the country is already approaching the historical record from the end of the First World War and the beginning of the Spanish flu pandemic – 1918.
This is what they show NSI data for the last 133 years, which were published by the Institute of Market Economics. The number for 2021 is calculated on the basis of weekly data on deceased Bulgarian citizens – it is possible to increase slightly with the final completion of the NSI register.
In any case, statistics show a drastic increase in mortality for the second consecutive year. 2021 ends with nearly 40,000 more died than the average for the past five years and more than 35,000 more than in 1989.
The number of lost human lives in Bulgaria in 2021 is about 20,000 more than in the first year of the 2020 pandemic.
IME economist Petar Ganev also published data on the relative share of the dead in relation to the whole population of the country in historical terms, noting that the number of Bulgarian citizens in the late 19th and early 20th century was lower than at present.
However, the mortality rate per 1,000 population in 2021 is relatively close to the levels recorded in years of wars and crises a century ago.
“Mortality in 2021 remains high, with a relative share of about 22 deaths per 1,000 people. In 1918, there were more than 30 deaths per 1,000 people, “he said in an interview with Nova TV.
This is what mortality figures look like, when only the period after 1989 is taken into account.
Not all cases of extraordinary mortality above the average level for Bulgaria are due to Covid-19, but weekly statistics show that the occurrence of more than 40,000 deaths more on an annual basis coincides with the waves of the pandemic in Bulgaria.
“The fact is that the age structure has its influence. And now our population is older than we had before. But still it has not become older in 2020,” said Peter Ganev on the data .
“Data on excessive mortality also exist in Europe. I don’t know if other countries have such records, but what can be seen is that other countries controlled the waves. And they mastered them thanks to vaccines – they limit super-mortality. We failed. At the moment we have 2 million vaccinated, which is half of the target by August 31, 2021, “said Petar Ganev.
Data on official mortality from Covid-19 and extraordinary mortality in Bulgaria and several European countries. Measured as a relative share of the population, this indicator puts Bulgaria in a worse position compared to a country like Russia:
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