Abstract:
The demographic and socio-economic development of Bulgaria during the first two decades of the 21st century is marked by increasing social and economic inequalities and deepening of negative trends in the conditions for reproduction of the population and labour resources both nationally and especially regionally level. The increase, and in some regions the escalation in the rates of aging and depopulation along with emigration, are not the only reasons for the deterioration of the conditions for the reproduction of human capital. The aim of this study is to identify the regions with the most serious abandonment in the field of human development and reproduction of the population and labour resources in the period 2001-2020. Based on available statistical information on the demographic, geodemographic and socio-economic development of existing during all the years of the studied period 262 municipalities made an attempt for their arrangement (classification) according to the degree of favourable conditions for the reproduction and formation of labour resources and human capital at the municipal level. To perform the set task, the multidimensional statistical analysis was used – the so-called Helwig’s method for the standard of development. Based on the calculated Euclidean distances between the standard and the individual municipalities, five large groups of municipalities have been identified, differentiated according to their distance from the favourable standard of human development. With the help of the methods of correlation regression analysis are revealed some of the main factors for the spatial differentiation of Bulgarian municipalities in the first two decades of the 21st century, which contribute to or deter the growth of regional differences in the reproduction of labour and human capital of the Bulgarian municipalities.