Bulgaria ’s population continues to shrink, entire settlements are being emptied, while at the same time new housing is being built and left unoccupied. These contrasting trends emerge from the latest demographic, economic and lifestyle data, discussed on BNT by the head of the National Statistical Institute, Atanas Atanasov. In the context of upcoming elections, comparisons between census figures and voter lists again raise questions. Atanasov clarified that the NSI has no role in compiling