In 2025, the national poverty line in Bulgaria was established at BGN 866.67 per person per month. According to data from the National Statistical Institute, 1,368,700 individuals, representing 21.2% of the population, were found to be living below this threshold. While the poverty line saw a 13.5% increase compared to the previous year, the share of people experiencing poverty decreased by 0.5 percentage points.
The data highlights that the calculation of income significantly impacts the poverty rate. When household income is considered using only pensions, the poverty rate rises to 29%. Excluding all social transfers increases the rate to 45.4%.
Economic activity and labor market participation remain the primary determinants of poverty risk in Bulgaria. Among the working population aged 18 to 64, the share of working poor slightly declined to 11.8%. However, risk levels varied significantly by employment status; part-time workers faced a poverty risk approximately three times higher than their full-time counterparts.
Education level also showed a strong correlation with economic stability, with the highest share of working poor recorded among those with only primary or no education (47.2%), compared to only 4.3% for those with higher education. Furthermore, the EU-SILC indicator, which monitors material and social deprivation, showed that 29% of Bulgaria’s population, or 1,868,900 people, were at risk of poverty and social exclusion in 2025. This figure represented a decline of 1.3 percentage points from 2024.
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This statistic highlights a severe and pressing issue regarding economic stability in Bulgaria.