Bulgaria vs Romania: Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median
Bulgaria
14.6%
in 2023
Romania
14.7%
in 2023
Bulgaria rank
33rd
Romania rank
31st
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median over time
- Bulgaria
- Romania
How they compare
Romania currently reports 14.7% against 14.6% in Bulgaria, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 19 shared years of data; in 1992 it was Bulgaria ahead.
Bulgaria ranks 33rd and Romania ranks 31st of 120 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Bulgaria averaged higher in 1 and Romania in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Bulgaria | Romania | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.3% | 9.3% | 1.0% | Bulgaria |
| 2000s | 13.9% | 18.1% | 4.2% | Romania |
| 2010s | 15.1% | 19.2% | 4.1% | Romania |
| 2020s | 13.6% | 16.8% | 3.2% | Romania |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median, Bulgaria or Romania?
- Romania, at 14.7% against 14.6% in Bulgaria as of 2023.
- What is the difference in relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median between Bulgaria and Romania?
- 0.1%, with Romania ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Bulgaria and Romania?
- 19 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2023.
- How do Bulgaria and Romania rank globally for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median?
- Bulgaria ranks 33rd and Romania ranks 31st of 120 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 50% of the median.