By 2050 there will be fewer than two people of working age to every person aged 65 or over in Bulgaria, compared to the current ratio of four to one, according to a World Bank report presented to the media in Sofia on Thursday.

At 55 per cent in 2050, the dependency ratio (the number of people aged 65 or over relative to the number of people of working age) will put to the test the capacity of the country's social assistance system, particularly the social and health services for the elderly, the report says.

In recent years, the proportion of the country's population aged 65 or over has increased to 17.3 per cent, remaining a little above the EU average of 17.0 per cent.

Besides the growing percentage of the population of the 65+ age group, life expectancy in Bulgaria is growing more than ever before. The nation's men now live to 69.5 years on average, a little below the point at which age-related health disorders become most widespread. Bulgarian women live to 76.6 years on average, which puts them at a greater risk of age-related health problems than men. This has increased the possibility of women living alone and needing additional help as they are now more likely to outlive their husbands.

Women in Bulgaria are becoming more vulnerable to poverty and isolation, the report says. The possibility of elderly women living in poverty is three times that of elderly men. In 2008, some 34 per cent of elderly Bulgarians of both genders were at a risk of slipping into poverty, compared to only 19 per cent in all the EU.

After Bulgaria adjusted its social service system in 2003, the proportion of formal services provided in the community or in a home environment increased steadily from 17 per cent to 81 per cent in 2008. More than 90 per cent of services in the country are public, offered either by the central government or the municipal authorities, the report says.

Source: BTA