New data released by the Statistical Office of the European Commission (Eurostat) highlights Bulgaria's position as the EU's second-highest country with a significant percentage of low-educated individuals living in poverty. As of 2022, Bulgaria reported a staggering 67.9% of people with low education levels falling into the category of poverty, trailing closely behind Greece, which topped the list at 81.6%. In contrast, countries like Finland, Luxembourg, and Sweden showcased the lowest rates of poverty among the less educated.

The EU-wide analysis revealed that 29.5% of individuals with lower educational attainment levels faced poverty in 2022. However, the disparity in poverty rates between low and high-educated populations was stark across various EU nations. In Bulgaria, the difference stood at a staggering 47.7 percentage points, showcasing a substantial contrast between these groups. Similar stark contrasts were observed in countries like Hungary and Slovakia, while nations like Finland and Denmark demonstrated notably smaller gaps in poverty rates between educational strata.

This data underscores the significant socioeconomic disparities existing across the EU, emphasizing the need for targeted policies to address poverty among the low-educated population.