Bulgaria continues to have very high levels of poverty and social exclusion. The country sustainably maintains some of the highest unfavourable levels among EU member-states in all significant and available indicators in this regard.
Poverty Watch Main Findings
- 32.1% of the Bulgarians lived in poverty or social exclusion in 2020
- Around one third of the Bulgarian citizens live in material and social deprivation with a
rate that is more or less stable in the last three years and the second highest in EU (after Romania
– 38,9%).
Poverty in the country remains high. Various indicators show that Bulgaria is among the countries with the highest levels of main poverty measurements and thus significantly contributes to raising EU averages.
Poverty Watch Main Findings
Most affected groups
Children
Women
Roma people & ethnic minorities
Single parents, one-member households over 65
Families with 3 children or more
Unemployed people
Main priorities
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Without making the fight against poverty a key objective of economic, financial and the 22 regional policies (including without the adequate involvement of other ministries and institutions), any anti-poverty strategy is likely to be turned into an imitation.
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It is not enough for Bulgaria to follow various “good practices” from the EU member states. The reason is that the effectiveness of the same or similar policy measures depends on the overall socio-economic context. Therefore, in addition to the widespread measures, Bulgaria must take a series of nationally adapted specifics measures to be successful in the fight against poverty.
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Trickle down approaches do not work. Political measures should have an understanding of the importance of the well-being of Bulgarian citizens.
Contact details
Douhomir Minev (President)
159 Rakovski Str.
Sofia 1000 (Bulgaria)
Tel: +359 2 988 54 48
Fax: +359 2 988 54 48
E-mail: perspekt ( @ ) tradel.net