Indicators for the Development of the "Silver Economy": Differences Between Bulgaria and the European Union

Demographic aging has become a decisive process for the development of European societies, requiring new approaches not only to modifying the age structure of the population, but also to social and economic governance. The article examines the “silver economy†, a concept that translates demographic challenges into opportunities, and examines the empirical differences of the main indicators between the member states of the European Union. The method is quantitative and comparative, based on descriptive analysis using public data (Eurostat, OECD, World Bank) covering mainly the 2014-2024 period. Bulgaria is a rapidly aging population of Europe, highlighting a major potential for promoting the activation of older generations. The results show that Bulgaria is among the countries with the highest proportion of the 65-year-old population and the lowest proportion of the working-age population and the retiree population, as well as a rapid growth in employment for 55-64-year-olds and digital integration for the elderly. There are also serious differences in public spending on pensions and health care, poverty and material deprivation levels, and access to the Internet among EU countries. This paper supports the thesis that to turn aging into an opportunity, it is necessary to adopt a proactive public policy that combines fiscal sustainability, social security and digital inclusion.