The Smolyan province had a
population of 140,066 As of the end of 2009, the population of the province, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 124,795 As of the end of 2023, the population decreased to 92,107.
Ethnic groups Total population (2011 census): 121,752 Ethnic groups (2011 census): Identified themselves: 95,175 persons: • Bulgarians: 86,847 (91.25%) •
Turks: 4,696 (4.93%) • Others and indefinable: 3,632 (3.82%) A further 26,000 persons in the Province did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census. In the 2001 census, 132,654 people of the population of 140,066 of Smolyan Province identified themselves as belonging to one of the following ethnic groups:
Language In the 2001 census, 135,761 people of the population of 140,066 of Smolyan Province identified one of the following as their
mother tongue (with percentage of total population): 129,181
Bulgarian (), 5,782
Turkish (), 532
Romani () and 266 other ().
Religion Unlike
Kardzhali Province where the majority of the Muslim population is Turkish, the Muslim population of Smolyan Province is made up mostly of
Muslim Bulgarians. The Muslim population is mainly concentrated in the municipalities
Banite,
Borino,
Dospat,
Madan and
Rudozem. The Orthodox-Christians population live predominantly in the municipality of
Smolyan and the municipality of
Chepelare. The religious structure of the municipalities of
Devin,
Nedelino and
Zlatograd is mixed with
Pomaks as well as Orthodox Christians. Religious adherence in the province according to 2011 census: == Economy ==