Income share held by highest 20% in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Income share held by highest 20% was 46.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Income share held by highest 20% 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 income share held by highest 20% in Bulgaria is 46.2%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share held by highest 20% in Bulgaria peaked at 47.6% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 34.0%, in 1989.
That places Bulgaria 30th 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.
Income share held by highest 20% in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 34.0% | — |
| 1992 | 39.3% | +15.6% |
| 1994 | 34.8% | -11.5% |
| 1995 | 40.9% | +17.5% |
| 1997 | 36.8% | -10.0% |
| 2001 | 40.0% | +8.7% |
| 2003 | 38.0% | -5.0% |
| 2006 | 41.7% | +9.7% |
| 2007 | 43.0% | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 41.0% | -4.7% |
| 2009 | 40.9% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 42.2% | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 41.1% | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 42.7% | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 42.8% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 43.9% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 44.3% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 46.3% | +4.5% |
| 2017 | 46.6% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 47.6% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 46.6% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 47.4% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 45.6% | -3.8% |
| 2022 | 45.1% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 46.2% | +2.4% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 46.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 39.9%, 1.2× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 46.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 39.1%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 34.0% | 34.0% | 34.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 37.9% | 34.8% | 40.9% | 4 |
| 2000s | 40.8% | 38.0% | 43.0% | 6 |
| 2010s | 44.4% | 41.1% | 47.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.1% | 45.1% | 47.4% | 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 income share held by highest 20% in Bulgaria?
- Income share held by highest 20% in Bulgaria was 46.2% 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 income share held by highest 20% recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 47.6% in 2018.
- What is the lowest income share held by highest 20% recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.0% in 1989.
- How does Bulgaria rank for income share held by highest 20%?
- Bulgaria ranks 30th out of 123 countries with data for 2023.
- Is income share held by highest 20% 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 Income share held by highest 20%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.