| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 6,552 (2011), estimation up to 80,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Plovdiv Province: 3,140 Varna Province: 2,240 Sofia: 1,672 Ruse: 1,500 | |
| Languages | |
| Western Armenian, Bulgarian, (Minority) Eastern Armenian, Russian | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Armenian diaspora | |
All figures from [1] |
Armenians in Bulgaria (Armenian: Հայերը Բուլղարիայում, romanized: Hayery Bulghariayum; Bulgarian: Арменци в България, romanized: Armentsi v Bulgariya) are the fifth largest minority, after Russians, in the country, numbering 6,552 according to the 2011 census,[2] down from 10,832 in 2001, while Armenian organizations estimate up to 80,000.[3] Armenians have lived in the Balkans (including the territory of modern Bulgaria) since no later than the 5th century, when they moved there as part of the Byzantine cavalry. Since then, the Armenians have had a continuous presence in Bulgarian lands and have often played an important part in the history of Bulgaria from early Medieval times until the present.
The main centres of the Armenian community in the country are the major cities Plovdiv (3,140 Armenians in Plovdiv Province in 2001), Varna (2,240 in Varna Province), Sofia (1,672) and Burgas (904 in Burgas Province).
The traditional language of the community is Western Armenian, though since education during the Communist period in Bulgaria was in Eastern Armenian, many are also fluent in the latter dialect. Bulgarian, being the official language, is spoken fluently by almost all Armenians in the country.