Bulgaria has been identified as the 11th fastest shrinking nation globally and the 25th highest aging nation, according to a recent CIA report cited by Nova TV. The United Nations has corroborated these findings, highlighting the overall fertility rate as a key indicator. Europe's rate stands at 1.5, falling short of the 2.1-point threshold necessary to maintain population stability.

Professor Nadezhda Ilieva from the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy, and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences expressed concern about the projections. She anticipates a 30% decline in Bulgaria's population over the next two decades, reaching an estimated 4.5 million by 2050. The decline is attributed not only to low birth rates but also to an aging population and a high mortality rate.

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