Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) was 1.0% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Bulgaria, 1989–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of population below international poverty line in Bulgaria is 1.0%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.1% on the previous year and down 69.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population below international poverty line in Bulgaria peaked at 8.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1989.
Bulgaria ranks 71st of 133 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 0.0% | — |
| 1992 | 0.0% | — |
| 1994 | 0.0% | — |
| 1995 | 1.9% | — |
| 1997 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 2001 | 4.7% | — |
| 2003 | 2.2% | -53.2% |
| 2006 | 8.0% | +263.6% |
| 2007 | 2.5% | -68.8% |
| 2008 | 1.9% | -24.0% |
| 2009 | 1.8% | -5.3% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | +50.0% |
| 2011 | 3.4% | +25.9% |
| 2012 | 3.0% | -11.8% |
| 2013 | 3.3% | +10.0% |
| 2014 | 2.7% | -18.2% |
| 2015 | 4.6% | +70.4% |
| 2016 | 3.1% | -32.6% |
| 2017 | 2.0% | -35.5% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | -25.0% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | +6.7% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | -56.2% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | +71.4% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | -8.3% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | -9.1% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 1.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.4%, 2.5× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 1.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.3%, 2.9× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) in Bulgaria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | +263.6% | 2.2% | 8.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | 0.0% | 1.9% | 4 |
| 2000s | 3.5% | 1.8% | 8.0% | 6 |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 1.5% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.2% | 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 proportion of population below international poverty line in Bulgaria?
- Proportion of population below international poverty line in Bulgaria was 1.0% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.0% in 2006.
- What is the lowest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1989.
- How does Bulgaria rank for proportion of population below international poverty line?
- Bulgaria ranks 71st out of 133 countries with data for 2023.
- Is proportion of population below international poverty line rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 69.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population below international poverty line (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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