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Bulgaria Poverty Claim Fact Checked

“Bulgaria isn't poor”
False, Bulgaria poor
Confidence: High Checked on May 18, 2026

Summary

Bulgaria remains one of the poorest EU member states, with a GDP per capita of about $17,600 (nominal) and $42,000 (PPP), ranking near the bottom of the EU. Around 22 % of the population lives below the national poverty line, and poverty risk is among the highest in the Union. Therefore, the claim that “Bulgaria isn’t poor” is inaccurate.

Recheck this fact Runs a fresh check with up-to-date sources

Sources 80 searched

en.wikipedia.org
  • Economy of Bulgaria - Wikipedia

    At the same time annual inflation in the economy was variable and during the last five years (2003–2007) has seen a low of 2.3% and high of 7.3%. Most importantly, this poses a threat to the country's accession to the Eurozone. The Bulgarian government originally planned to adopt the Euro no sooner than 2015. Although Bulgaria since the beginning had the plan to have to adopt the euro as a condition to membership, plans would have been postponed until 2026, when with the arrive of the new year, they entered the euro. From a political point of view, there is a trade-off between Bulgaria's economic growth and the stability required for early accession to the monetary union.

  • Poverty in Bulgaria - Wikipedia

    Poverty in Bulgaria is a common phenomenon. As of 2023 the poverty line is an income of €257 or less per month and around 1.5 million Bulgarian citizens (22% of the population) live below the poverty line. According to Eurostat, as of 2017 23.4% of the Bulgarian population lives at risk of ...

worldbank.org
  • Bulgaria | World Bank Group

    By 2025, convergence reached 68% of the average GDP per capita in the EU in purchasing power parity terms but the country remains one of the poorest EU member states. Robust growth has contributed to poverty reduction from 4.4% in 2023 to estimated ...

borgenproject.org
  • Why Is Bulgaria Poor? - The Borgen Project

    While the EU average risk of poverty ... with the highest level of this risk. Across the country, almost 10 percent of the population is defined as extremely poor, i.e....

  • Everything To Know About Poverty in Bulgaria - The Borgen Project

    While average wages and the poverty line have increased in recent years, they remain among the lowest in the EU. Individuals working in low-value-added industries (agriculture, most commonly) struggle most with poverty in Bulgaria. Due to low birth rates and emigration, Bulgaria’s population has dropped by nearly 25% since 1990.

fred.stlouisfed.org
georank.org
  • Bulgaria economy ranked: GDP growth, debt + 73 stats

    ... Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $17,596, ranking 64/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $41,969, ranking 54/197, and a median annual after tax income of $14,263, ranking 59/197.

databankfiles.worldbank.org
donnees.banquemondiale.org

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