According to Eurostat data, 22.4% of Bulgarians aged 65 and older experience severe material deprivation, meaning they are unable to afford at least seven out of thirteen basic items necessary for a decent quality of life. These essentials include things like replacing worn-out clothes, having some personal spending money each week, renewing old furniture, going on an annual vacation, or handling unexpected expenses.

Only Romania has a higher percentage of pensioners in such deprivation, with 23.7% affected. On average, however, pensioners across the European Union tend to be financially better off than other citizens, thanks to their guaranteed incomes. In the EU as a whole, just 6.8% of people live in severe material deprivation, and only 5.5% of those aged 65 and over face such hardships. In countries like Luxembourg and Sweden, fewer than 1% of pensioners experience severe deprivation, while Austria and Germany have rates of 1.9% and 4.4%, respectively.

In contrast, Bulgaria has a significantly higher proportion of pensioners living in material deprivation compared to most other EU nations. In total, 18% of Bulgaria’s population cannot afford at least seven of the 13 basic necessities, and only Romania fares worse in this regard, with 19.8% of its population experiencing similar hardships. Greece also faces challenges, with 13.5% of its population affected by severe deprivation.

Source: Eurostat