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

The number of students in Bulgaria decreases due to the demographic crisis

Minister of Education Galin Tsokov
Photo: BGNES

"Bulgaria lags behind other EU countries in the share of young people with higher education. The removal of tuition fees for state-funded education aims to attract more students against the backdrop of a worsening demographic crisis", Bulgaria’s Minister of Education and Science Professor Galin Tsokov said an interview with the Bulgarian National Television. Minister Tsokov commented on the amendments to the Higher Education Act that were already uploaded for public discussion. The government proposed to waive tuition fees for undergraduate and PhD students in public higher education institutions, in fields with a state subsidy. 

In recent years, the number of students in Bulgaria has been decreasing. The share of young people who complete higher education by the age of 30-34 is also decreasing. The analyses indicate that in the next 4-5 years, the demographic crisis will be felt even more seriously. ''The removal of tuition fees aims to make higher education more accessible'', said Minister Tsokov. According to Galin Tsokov, the removal of tuition fees does not automatically imply a decline in quality.



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

The weather remains cloudy and rainy

Over the next 24 hours, there will be no significant change in the weather conditions - it will be cloudy and rainy. On Wednesday, the precipitation will weaken and stop by the end of the day. There will be a moderate wind from..

published on 4/1/25 7:00 PM

Only 5% of prisoners in Bulgaria find work after release

Only 5% of prisoners in Bulgaria find work after serving their sentence . According to the Varna-based Altruist Association, quoted by BNT, 75% return to prison within the first year, mostly for theft. Experts from the organisation stress the need for..

published on 4/1/25 6:00 PM

The price of gas for April is 38.39 EUR/MWh

The Energy and Water Regulatory Commission has approved the price of natural gas for April at 38.39 EUR/MWh, excluding access, transmission, excise and VAT prices. At this price, Bulgargaz will sell natural gas to end suppliers and..

published on 4/1/25 4:10 PM