Number of Single-Member Households in Bulgaria Records Increase - NSI

According to data from the latest population census, which took place in 2011, slightly over 3 million households live in Bulgaria, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) reports.

The data reveals both a clear absolute and relative increase in the number of single-member households from 662 853 in 2001 to 925 385 in 2011.

The tendency is for their number to increase, Darik radio reports.

The relative share of single-member households is the greatest in the district of Veliko Tarnovo and the capital of Sofia, respectively 38 % and 36.5 %.

The district of Kardzhali has the lowest share of single-member households - 22.4 %.

Around 14.7 % of Bulgarian households are composed of single parents, shows the latest Eurostat data on single-parent families.

This amounts to 400 000 single parents in Bulgaria, which includes women left by their spouses after divorce, mothers looking after children born outside marriage, and widows.

Most single parents live in the capital Sofia - 18.5 %, which amounts to more than 80 000, while the district of Kardzhali records the lowest share of single parents - 10 % or 40 000.

According to Eurostat, the highest number of single-parent families is recorded in Latvia - 33.3 %, which means that every third family there is composed of a single parent.

Latvia is followed in this trend by three other Eastern European countries - Slovenia, Lithuania and Poland.

The lowest share of single-parent families can be found in Cyprus, the Netherlands and Germany.

The increase of extramarital births is typical for most of the EU member states, Eurostat reports.

The share of extramarital births is highest in Estonia, Slovenia and France, while Greece records the lowest share.