Analysis of the fertility decline in Bulgaria shows that the
perception of Bulgaria as an 'anomaly' in terms of its demographic development
is based on a conservative interpretation of the demographic transition theory.
The features that distinguish Bulgaria from the western European countries
(faster decline, persistence of early and universal marriages, etc.) are generally
accounted for by the specific social, economic, cultural, and political conditions.
These findings suggest that the speed of the fertility decline and the means
through which it is achieved are affected by a complex interaction between
cultural and economic factors that are often difficult to distinguish in terms of primacy.
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