According to the 2001 census, the population of the province was 311,985 (312,018 also given) of which Bulgarians constitute an overwhelming majority of 280,475. 16,931 signed as Turks (though this number very likely also includes many Roma) and 9,777 as Roma. 283,626 people specified Bulgarian as their mother tongue, 14,947 declared to speak Turkish at home, while the native speakers of Roma are 8,861.
As of February 2011, the population of the province, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 266 144 of which 28.4% are inhabitants aged over 60 years.
The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II:
| Pleven Province | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1946 | 1956 | 1965 | 1975 | 1985 | 1992 | 2001 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 |
| Population | 347,299 | 358,270 | 366,347 | 394,734 | 382,634 | 365,254 | 311,985 | 305,025 | 297,928 | 290,589 | 269 752 |
Read more about this topic: Pleven Province