Editing Demographics of Bulgaria (section)

== Religion ==
{{Main|Religion in Bulgaria}}

Bulgaria's traditional religion according to the constitution is the [[Bulgarian Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christianity]], while Bulgaria is a [[secular state]] too. Since the last two censuses (2001 and 2011) provide widely divergent results, they are both shown in the table below. It is noteworthy that over a fifth of the population chose not to respond to this question in the 2011 census.
[[File:Bulgaria_religous_map_by_municipalities.png|thumb|upright=1.7|right|Religious structure of Bulgaria according to the 2011 census.]]
[[File:Distribution of Muslims in Bulgaria per Province.svg|thumb|upright=1.7|right|Muslim areas in Bulgaria according to the 2001 census]]
{| style="border="0"
|-
| style="width:120px;"|
| style="width:100px;"|
| style="width:250px;"|
|-
|
| '''2001'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nsi.bg/Census/Religion.htm |title=НАСЕЛЕНИЕ КЪМ 01.03.2001 Г. ПО ОБЛАСТИ И ВЕРОИЗПОВЕДАНИЕ |trans-title=POPULATION AS OF 01.03.2001 BY DISTRICT AND RELIGION |access-date=2010-10-06 |url-status=live |archive-date=7 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100907235917/http://www.nsi.bg/Census/Religion.htm}}</ref>
| '''2011'''<ref name=Census2011final /><ref>{{cite web|title=Население по местоживеене, възраст и вероизповедание |trans-title=Population by place of residence, age and religion |url=http://censusresults.nsi.bg/Census/Reports/2/2/R10.aspx |access-date=17 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128054930/http://censusresults.nsi.bg/Census/Reports/2/2/R10.aspx |archive-date=28 January 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| Orthodox Christian
| 82.6%
| 59.4%
|-
| Muslim
| 12.2%
| 7.8% ''(7.4% Sunni; 0.4% Shia)''
|-
| Catholic
| 0.6%
| 0.7%
|-
| Protestant
| 0.5%
| 0.9%
|-
| ''Other''
| 0.2%
| 0.15%
|-
| ''None''
| 3.9%
| 9.3%
|-
| ''No response''
| -
| ''21.8%''
|}

The results of the Bulgarian 2011 Census, in which the indication of answer regarding the question for confession was optional, are as follows:<ref>{{cite web|title=Население по местоживеене, възраст и вероизповедание |year=2011|website=Censusresults.nsi.bg|url= http://censusresults.nsi.bg/Census/Reports/2/2/R10.aspx |access-date=2016-04-11|language=bg}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Group
! Population
! % of declared
! % of total
|-
| [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodoxy]] || 4,374,135 || 76.0% || 59.4%
|-
| Undeclared || 1,606,269 || - || 21.8%
|-
| [[Irreligion]] || 682,162 || 11.8% || 9.3%
|-
| [[Islam in Bulgaria|Islam]] || 577,139 || 10.0% || 7.8%
|-
| [[Protestantism in Bulgaria|Protestantism]] || 64,476 || 1.1% || 0.9%
|-
| [[Roman Catholicism in Bulgaria|Roman Catholicism]] || 48,945 || 0.8% || 0.7%
|-
| [[Oriental Orthodoxy]] || 1,715 || 0.0% || 0.0%
|-
| Jews || 706|| 0.0% || 0.0%
|-
| Others || 9,023|| 0.2% || 0.1%
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
|| Figure of percentage || style="background:lightgrey;"| - || style="background:lightgrey;"| 5,758,301 || style="background:lightgrey;"| 7,364,570
|}
[[File:Pomaks map.png|thumb|upright=1.7|right|Municipalities where the prevalence is [[Pomaks|Bulgarian Muslim]] according to the 2001 census]]
The results of the Bulgarian 2001 Census by ethnic groups, the latest census in which the indication of identification (whether by confession or as irreligious) in the question for confession was obligatory, are as follows:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nccedi.government.bg/page.php?category=92&id=247 |title=Етнически малцинствени общности |trans-title=Ethnic minority communities |website=Nccedi.government.bg |access-date=2017-08-24 |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824222635/http://www.nccedi.government.bg/page.php?category=92&id=247}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nsi.bg/Census/StrReligion.htm |title=Структура на населението по вероизповедание |trans-title=Structure of the population by confession |website=Nccedi.government.bg |access-date=2017-08-24 |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091225163107/http://www.nsi.bg/Census/StrReligion.htm}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|- style="background:#e0e0e0;"
! rowspan="2" | Ethnic groups<br />by confession
! colspan="2" | Total
! colspan="2" | [[Bulgarians in Bulgaria|Bulgarians]]
! colspan="2" | [[Turks in Bulgaria|Turks]]
! colspan="2" | [[Roma in Bulgaria|Roma]]
! colspan="2" | Others
|- style="background:#e0e0e0;"
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
|-
| [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodoxy]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,552,751
| style="text-align:right;"| 82.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,315,938
| style="text-align:right;"| 94.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,425
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 180,326
| style="text-align:right;"| 48.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 51,062
| style="text-align:right;"|
|-
| [[Islam in Bulgaria|Islam]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 966,978
| style="text-align:right;"| 12.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 131,531
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 713,024
| style="text-align:right;"| 95.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 103,436
| style="text-align:right;"| 27.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 18,987
| style="text-align:right;"|
|-
| [[Irreligion]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 308,116
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 151,008
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 23,146
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 59,669
| style="text-align:right;"| 16.1
| style="text-align:right;"|
| style="text-align:right;"|
|-
| [[Roman Catholicism in Bulgaria|Roman Catholicism]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 43,811
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 37,811
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,561
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.3
| style="text-align:right;"|
| style="text-align:right;"|
| style="text-align:right;"|
| style="text-align:right;"|
|-
| [[Protestantism in Bulgaria|Protestantism]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 42,308
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 14,591
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,066
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 24,651
| style="text-align:right;"| 6.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,000
| style="text-align:right;"|
|-
| Others
| style="text-align:right;"| 14,937
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,331
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 442
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1
| style="text-align:right;"|
| style="text-align:right;"|
| style="text-align:right;"|
| style="text-align:right;"|
|-
| Total population
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,928,901
| style="text-align:right;"| 100.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,655,210
| style="text-align:right;"| 100.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 746,664
| style="text-align:right;"| 100.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 370,908
| style="text-align:right;"| 100.0
| style="text-align:right;"|
| style="text-align:right;"| 100.0
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Population of Bulgaria according to religion 1900 - 2021
! rowspan="2" |Religion
! colspan="2" |census 1900
! colspan="2" |census 1910
! colspan="2" |census 1920
! colspan="2" |census 1926
! colspan="2" |census 1934
! colspan="2" |census 1992
! colspan="2" |census 2001
! colspan="2" |census 2011
! colspan="2" |census 2021
|-
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
|-
|[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodoxy]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 3,019,999
| style="text-align:right;"| 80.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 3,643,918
| style="text-align:right;"| 84.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,062,097
| style="text-align:right;"| 83.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,569,074
| style="text-align:right;"| 83.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,128,890
| style="text-align:right;"| 84.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,274,592
| style="text-align:right;"| 85.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,552,751
| style="text-align:right;"| 82.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,374,135
| style="text-align:right;"| 59.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,091,780
| style="text-align:right;"| 62.8
|-
|[[Islam in Bulgaria|Islam]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 643,300
| style="text-align:right;"| 17.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 602,078
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 690,734
| style="text-align:right;"| 14.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 789,296
| style="text-align:right;"| 14.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 821,298
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,110,295
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 966,978
| style="text-align:right;"| 12.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 577,139
| style="text-align:right;"| 7.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 638,708
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.8
|-
|[[Protestantism in Bulgaria|Protestantism]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,524
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,335
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,617
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,735
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,371
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 21,878
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 42,308
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 64,476
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 69,852
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.1
|-
|[[Catholic Church in Bulgaria|Roman Catholicism]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 28,569
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 32,150
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 34,072
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 40,347
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 45,704
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 53,074
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 43,811
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 48,945
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 38,709
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.6
|-
|Jews
| style="text-align:right;"| 33,663
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 40,067
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 43,232
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 46,431
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 48,398
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,580
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.0
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| 706
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,736
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.0
|-
|[[Armenian Apostolic Church]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,809
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 12,259
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 10,848
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 25,402
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 23,476
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,672
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,715
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,002
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1
|-
|Others
| style="text-align:right;"| 326
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| 14,937
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,023
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,451
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1
|-
|Irreligion
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| 272,264
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 305,102
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.7
|-
|Undeclared
| style="text-align:right;"| 93
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| 308,116
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 408,989
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 731,841
| style="text-align:right;"| 11.2
|-
|Borrowed from adm. sources
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| 308,116
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,606,269
| style="text-align:right;"| 21.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 616,681
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.5
|-
!Total
! colspan="2" |3,744,283
! colspan="2" |4,337,513
! colspan="2" |4,846,971
! colspan="2" |5,478,741
! colspan="2" |6,077,939
! colspan="2" |8,487,317
! colspan="2" |7,928,901
! colspan="2" |7,364,570
! colspan="2" |6,519,789
|}