Disability in Bulgaria – Does it increase or decrease during the period 1992-2004?

Kaloyan Haralampiev, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"

The goal of the paper is to determine whether the disability in Bulgaria increases or decreases during the period 1992-2004. The applied method is suggested by Robine and Mathers. The point of the method is the examination of the increase or the decrease of disability-free life expectancy, years lived with disability and disability-free life expectancy as a proportion of total life expectancy. There are three different data sources of calculation of disability-free life expectancy in Bulgaria. The first ones are the surveys, using the method of the interview, of health state of the population, conducted during 1996 and 2001. The second one is the National Censuses, conducted during 1992 and 2001. The third one is the information supplied by the National Social Security Institute of Bulgaria about the number of persons who receive disability pension. All data sources lead to similar results. Moreover, they lead to the same conclusions. Firstly, disability in Bulgaria increases during the period 1992-2004. Secondly, increasing of disability concerns all age groups. Thirdly, disability in the female population is larger and it increases faster compare to the male population.