Bulgaria is poorest country in EU

The European Commission expressed concerns about the poverty levels in Bulgaria. The number of Bulgarians who suffer material deprivation is 5 time higher than the average in the EU, shows the employment and social situation review.

The intense economic austerity measures have significantly improved the budget position, but at the cost of increasing social discontent. The EC also marks that the massive protests which led to the resignation of the Bulgarian government were caused by the unusual high bills of electricity.

Those costs are one of the main expenditures of the Bulgarians. 85% of the monthly incomes are spent on basic necessities and 44% of the Bulgarian people suffer serious material deprivations. 49% of the population, 52% of the children and 61% of the pensioners are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the analysis further reads.

Adapted from Bulgarian National Radio