Pharma · 2026
E-Health: Age and Regional Patterns in Bulgaria
How age and place shape access to digital healthcare
Bulgaria's national eHealth platform is live - electronic health records, prescriptions, referrals and other medical documentation online. Availability, though, is not the same as equal access. As of 9 September 2026 there are 462,679 registered users. Estimated penetration reaches 12.9% among 31-50-year-olds - the highest of any age group - and falls to just 2.4% among people aged 70+.
This Perceptica report looks at how age and region shape eHealth adoption in Bulgaria, and how those patterns line up with digital skills, internet use and demographic conditions - so policy and industry teams can see where digital healthcare still leaves people behind.
Why this topic matters
Digital healthcare only works if people can use it. When older citizens and some regions stay offline, eHealth risks creating new forms of exclusion - precisely where dependence on healthcare is often highest - and weakens the transparency benefits the platform is meant to deliver.
What we analysed
National eHealth registration data as of 9 September 2026, read against National Statistical Institute (NSI) indicators on digital skills, internet use and regional demographics. Penetration figures are registrations as a share of each age group's population; they do not measure active use.
Key findings
- Adoption peaks in mid-life, not among the oldest - Estimated eHealth penetration is about 12.9% among 31-50-year-olds, versus only 2.4% among people aged 70+. Raw registration totals alone understate how steep the age gap is once population size is accounted for.
- Skills and internet use fall sharply with age - Only 9.5% of 65-74-year-olds have at least basic digital skills. Among people aged 75-89, 59.7% have never used the internet - consistent with the very low eHealth penetration in the 70+ group.
- Place matters too - There is roughly a fourfold gap in internet non-use between the Southwestern region (3.3%) and the North Central region (12.3%), pointing to regional as well as age-based barriers to digital healthcare access.
Part of a larger study
This report is part of SeeNext's Digitalisation in Southeast Europe | 2026 edition. If you want the full Digitalisation study - or to explore the other topics covered there - visit SeeNext:
Digitalisation in Southeast Europe | 2026 edition on seenext.org
To get Perceptica's E-Health: Age and Regional Patterns in Bulgaria report, fill in the form below and we will email you the PDF.
Who this report is for
Health policy, pharma, public-sector and communications teams who need a clear, evidence-based view of who is - and is not - on eHealth in Bulgaria, and what age and regional gaps mean for access, transparency and inclusion.
Perceptica's research combines rigorous data analysis with clear narrative - so teams working on digital health, pharma communications and public services can see adoption gaps early and respond with clarity.
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