Education and Population in Bulgaria (1903–1904)
Understanding the number of students in Bulgaria compared to the total population helps us see how education developed in the early 20th century. Statistical data from 1903–1904 provides useful insights into how many children attended school and how education was spread across different nationalities in the Principality of Bulgaria.
The Ratio of Students to the Population
In 1903–1904, the total population of Bulgaria was 3,744,283 people. During the same period, there were 340,668 pupils attending schools. This means there were about 9.1 pupils for every 100 inhabitants.
The rate of education, however, was not equal among all communities. The breakdown was as follows:
Bulgarians (Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim): 9.9%
Turks: 8.0%
Greeks: 6.8%
Jews: 13.4%
From these figures, we can see that Jewish communities had the highest proportion of students attending school, while Greek communities had the lowest. It is also important to note that the number of Jewish students was actually higher than recorded, because many Jewish children attended Bulgarian national schools, which were not fully counted in the statistics.
The Teaching Staff in Bulgaria
Education depends not only on students but also on teachers. In 1903–1904, Bulgaria had 7,786 teachers in total. Out of this number, 5,425 were male teachers and 2,361 were female teachers.
Distribution of Teachers by School Type
The teachers worked in schools belonging to different religious and ethnic groups. The distribution was as follows:
Type of School Male Teachers Female Teachers Total
Bulgarian 4,075 2,146 6,223
Bulgarian Private 46 29 75
Mahommedan 31 – 31
Catholic 6 10 16
Protestant 6 14 20
Turkish 1,033 37 1,070
Greek 86 35 121
Jewish 82 45 127
Armenian 13 20 33
French 13 22 35
Tartar 8 – 8
German 3 1 4
Roumanian 7 5 12
Lipovanian – 1 1
In the early 1900s, Bulgaria had a growing educational system. The Jewish population showed the highest rate of school attendance, while the Greeks showed the lowest. The number of teachers, both men and women, also reflected the diversity of the country’s population. These numbers demonstrate how education in Bulgaria was expanding and becoming more inclusive across different communities Private Tours Bulgaria.