Gini index in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Gini index was 39.5 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Gini index in Bulgaria, 1989–2023
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gini index in Bulgaria is 39.5, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini index in Bulgaria peaked at 41.3 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 23.4, in 1989.
That places Bulgaria 31st out of 123 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Gini index in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 23.4 | — |
| 1992 | 30.7 | +31.2% |
| 1994 | 24.3 | -20.8% |
| 1995 | 32.8 | +35.0% |
| 1997 | 26.4 | -19.5% |
| 2001 | 32.7 | +23.9% |
| 2003 | 28.9 | -11.6% |
| 2006 | 35.7 | +23.5% |
| 2007 | 36.1 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 33.6 | -6.9% |
| 2009 | 33.8 | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 35.7 | +5.6% |
| 2011 | 34.3 | -3.9% |
| 2012 | 36 | +5.0% |
| 2013 | 36.6 | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 37.4 | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 38.6 | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 40.6 | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 40.4 | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 41.3 | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 40.3 | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 40.5 | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 39 | -3.7% |
| 2022 | 38.2 | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 39.5 | +3.4% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 39.5 is above the median for high income countries, which is 32.05, 1.2× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 39.5 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 30.65, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 23.4 | 23.4 | 23.4 | 1 |
| 1990s | 28.55 | 24.3 | 32.8 | 4 |
| 2000s | 33.47 | 28.9 | 36.1 | 6 |
| 2010s | 38.12 | 34.3 | 41.3 | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.3 | 38.2 | 40.5 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More poverty & inequality data for Bulgaria
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 8 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.75 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 5,224 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 1.41 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 29.97 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 30.0% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gini index in Bulgaria?
- Gini index in Bulgaria was 39.5 in 2023, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest gini index recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 41.3 in 2018.
- What is the lowest gini index recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.4 in 1989.
- How does Bulgaria rank for gini index?
- Bulgaria ranks 31st out of 123 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gini index rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Gini index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.