Bulgaria’s Poverty Rate Falls in 2025, But Remains Among EU’s Highest

Jerusalem, 26 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Luxembourg (BTA) – People at risk of poverty in Bulgaria decreased both in absolute and relative terms in 2025 compared with 2024, according to flash estimates published by the EU Statistical Office (Eurostat) on Tuesday. Their number dropped to 1.369 million from 1.401 million, and their share in the country’s population fell to 21.2% from 21.7%.

Still, Bulgaria had the third-highest at-risk-of-poverty rate in the EU in 2025, lower only compared with Lithuania (22.6%) and Latvia (22.0%). The three countries had reported the highest levels in 2024 as well, but in reverse order, with Latvia (21.6%) and Lithuania (21.5%) being in a slightly better position than Bulgaria.

Across the EU, the ratio of people at risk of poverty to the total population went up by 0.1 percentage points to 16.3% in 2025 compared with 2024. Their number reached 72.409 million, increasing by 316,000.