Fewer young people and a shrinking workforce
We publish the full Rapid report of HTA “Aging Bulgaria: Demographics, Healthcare Workforce, and Future Trends 2040 – 2050”.
In May and June 2025, young doctors and nurses joined national protests in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and other cities demanding higher wages and better working conditions. The Bulgarian Medical Union formally requested an increase in base salaries tied to the minimum wage, threatening strike action and increase in the overall healthcare spending. Nurses staged warning strikes in major hospitals, highlighting severe understaffing and burnout.
Municipal hospitals reported critical budget shortfalls, jeopardizing essential services in regional centers. These developments underscore mounting pressure on the 2026 healthcare budget and urgency for systemic reform.
With this rapid analysis we aim to provide context, numbers and projections (in euro), substantiating the demands, decisions and health policies updates.
