Sofia, November 27 (BTA) - The COVID-19 pandemic has led to fewer divorces and more weddings in Bulgaria, shows a check by BTA correspondents across the country.

In Kyustendil, for example, the number of divorces dropped to 78 in 2020 from 118 in 2019. In Turgovishte, divorces numbered 110 last year, down by 51 from the pre-pandemic 2019. In Pernik, divorces numbered 116 in January 1 - November 25, 2021, compared to 119 last year and 146 in 2019. In Lovech, 37 couples divorced this year, while in 2020 and 2019 their number stood at 67 and 87, respectively. A significant decrease was registered in Varna as well, where this year saw 727 divorces, compared to 803 in 2020 and 851 in 2019.

In most settlements, the initial drop in weddings at the start of the pandemic last year was followed by an increase. In Burgas, for example, 852 couples got married this year by November 25, whereas 792 tied the knot in 2020 and 973 in the pre-pandemic 2019. Magdalena Karastoyanova, manager of the Ritual Complex in the coastal city, commented for BTA that the pandemic has not dissuaded people from getting married: they have learned to celebrate in a small family circle while observing the anti-epidemic measures.

The couples wishing to get married have also increased in Gabrovo (155 this year, compared to 140 in 2020 and 162 in 2021), Pazardjik (490 this year, compared to 442 in 2020 and 637 in 2019), Kyustendil (180 this year, compared to 213 in 2019), and Lovech (129 this year, compared to 102 in 2020 and 137 in 2019), among others. This year Montana has had more weddings than back in 2019: over 150, compared to 129 weddings two years ago, Mayor Zlatko Zhivkov told BTA.

Still, there are some settlements where the downward trend in weddings has not been reversed. In Pernik, the head of the Ritual Activities municipal enterprise, Roumen Tanev, sees demographic reasons in addition to pandemic ones behind the decrease in weddings to 180 this year from 200 in 2020 and 282 in 2019. In Kurdjali, 226 couples tied the knot this year and 242, in 2020, and weddings in Kazanluk dropped nearly twofold due to the pandemic.

/DS/

Source: Sofia