Statistics show that over 20% of Bulgarians live in poverty.

Omissions

• The claim does not specify which poverty indicator is being used. Eurostat publishes multiple poverty measures: the 'at risk of poverty rate' (relative income poverty, which was around 21.2% in late 2025 per Trading Economics), 'subjective poverty' (37.4% in 2024), and 'at risk of poverty or social exclusion' (AROPE, which for Bulgaria was nearly 38% in 2024).
• Bulgaria consistently ranks among the EU countries with the highest poverty rates.
• The most recent complete Eurostat data available before the session date (April 2026) is from 2024, showing 37.4% subjective poverty.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat - Subjective Poverty StatisticsBulgaria had a subjective poverty rate of 37.4% in 2024, the second highest in the EU after Greece (66.8%)
• SecondaryBulgarian National Radio - Eurostat data citationAccording to Eurostat data for 2024, nearly 38% of Bulgarians live at risk of poverty, placing Bulgaria second after Slovakia
• SecondaryTrading Economics - Bulgaria At Risk of Poverty RateBulgaria At Risk of Poverty rate was 21.20% in December 2025 according to EUROSTAT