Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%) was 21.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Bulgaria, 2015–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Bulgaria is 21.7%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.3% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Bulgaria peaked at 23.8% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 20.6%, in 2022.
That places Bulgaria 23rd out of 73 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%) in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | 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% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 21.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 16.0%, 1.4× the median. (26 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 21.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15.8%, 1.4× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 22.9% | 22.0% | 23.8% | 5 |
| 2020s | 21.8% | 20.6% | 22.9% | 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 living below the national poverty line in Bulgaria?
- Proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Bulgaria was 21.7% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of population living below the national poverty line recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 23.8% in 2019.
- What is the lowest proportion of population living below the national poverty line recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.6% in 2022.
- How does Bulgaria rank for proportion of population living below the national poverty line?
- Bulgaria ranks 23rd out of 73 countries with data for 2023.
- Is proportion of population living below the national poverty line 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 United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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