Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines was 21.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
21.7%
Change on year
up 5.3%
World rank
23rd
of 70 countries
All-time high
23.8%
in 2019
All-time low
20.6%
in 2022
Years of data
9
2015–2023

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Bulgaria, 2015–2023

05101520252015201920232015: 22.9 % of population2016: 23.4 % of population2017: 22 % of population2018: 22.6 % of population2019: 23.8 % of population2020: 22.1 % of population2021: 22.9 % of population2022: 20.6 % of population2023: 21.7 % of population

Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines., World Bank (W. Measured in % of population.

Analysis

In 2023, poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Bulgaria stood at 21.7%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.3% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Bulgaria peaked at 23.8% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 20.6%, in 2022.

Bulgaria ranks 23rd of 70 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) in Bulgaria, 2015 to 2023.
Year % of population Change
2015 22.9%
2016 23.4% +2.2%
2017 22.0% -6.0%
2018 22.6% +2.7%
2019 23.8% +5.3%
2020 22.1% -7.1%
2021 22.9% +3.6%
2022 20.6% -10.0%
2023 21.7% +5.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 22.9% 22.0% 23.8% 5
2020s 21.8% 20.6% 22.9% 4

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 21 North Macedonia 21.9% compare
  2. 21 Pakistan 21.9%
  3. 23 Armenia 21.7% compare
  4. 23 Panama 21.7% compare
  5. 26 Ecuador 21.4% compare

See the full ranking of 70 places →

More poverty & inequality data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Bulgaria?
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Bulgaria was 21.7% in 2023, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines., World Bank (W.
What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 23.8% in 2019.
What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 20.6% in 2022.
How does Bulgaria rank for poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines?
Bulgaria ranks 23rd out of 70 countries with data for 2023.
Is poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines., World Bank (W, published as part of Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines., World Bank (W. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/poverty-headcount-ratio-at-national-poverty-lines-percent-of-population/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population)
Unit
% of population
Source
World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines., World Bank (W
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
70 places, 986 data points, 1985–2025
Last refreshed

National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line(s). National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys. For economies for which the data are from EU-SILC, the reported year is the income reference year, which is the year before the survey year.