Demographic Crisis in Smolyan's Healthcare: Over 40% of Doctors are of Retirement Age

The healthcare system in the Smolyan region is facing a serious demographic challenge. According to the latest data from the Regional Statistical Office "South", a significant portion of the medical staff in the region is of retirement age, which calls into question the future sustainability of services.

By the end of 2025, a total of 323 doctors are practicing in the region under primary employment contracts. An analysis of the age composition reveals a worrying trend: the largest percentage of doctors (32.5%) are in the 65-74 age group, and an additional 29 specialists are over the age of 75. In contrast, young professionals under 35 years old represent only 10.2% of the total number of doctors in the region.

Regarding the availability of doctors for the population, Smolyan registers 36.4 doctors per 10,000 people. This indicator is significantly lower than the Bulgarian average, which is 47.3 per 10,000 people. For comparison, regions with medical universities, such as Pleven and Plovdiv, achieve indicators of over 58 per 10,000 people.

The only region where a better situation is observed compared to the national average is in the dental medicine segment. Availability in Smolyan is 13.2 dentists per 10,000 people, which is slightly above the national average of 12.6.

In addition to doctors, other medical specialists work in the region – 631 people, including 362 nurses, 46 midwives, and 62 laboratory technicians. Despite the presence of personnel, the demographic "aging" of the medical staff remains a critical factor for regional healthcare.