Bulgaria drops to third in EU ranking for financial insecurity

The proportion of people in Bulgaria who were unable to meet unexpected financial expenses stood at 42.4% in 2025, placing the country third in the European Union ranking for this indicator, behind Greece (50.5%) and Latvia (43.7%). Bulgaria had topped the ranking for the previous two years, according to data from the EU's statistical office, Eurostat.

The EU average share of people unable to cope with unexpected financial expenses was 29.2% in 2025, down from 30% a year earlier. The lowest rate was recorded in the Netherlands, at 15.3%, followed by Malta and Czechia, both at 18.7%, CE Report quotes BTA.

In Bulgaria, the proportion of people unable to cover unexpected expenses fell to 42.4% last year, from 45.6% in 2024 and 46.7% in 2023. The country thus relinquished the top position it had held for two consecutive years.

Data for the past decade show significant fluctuations in the indicator in Bulgaria. It stood at 54.2% in 2016 and 53.2% in 2017. In 2018, it fell to 32.1%, before rising again to 36.5% in 2019 and 43.5% in 2020. It declined to 36.4% in 2021, but increased again over the following two years, reaching 46.7% in 2023. Eurostat flags the 2016 figure as a break in the time series.

A breakdown of the 2025 data by household composition shows that 63.1% of women living alone in Bulgaria were unable to meet unexpected financial expenses. The corresponding figure for men living alone was 48.7%. The rate stood at 57.1% for single-adult households and 60% for households consisting of one adult with dependent children.

The ability to cope with unexpected financial expenses is one of the indicators of economic security, Eurostat notes. The statistical office also identifies physical security, including protection from crime and violence, as another important aspect of quality of life.

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