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Average household income per person in Bulgaria grew more strongly than spending during the last quarter of 2025, according to data from the National Statistical Institute.
The quarterly total income per household member reached BGN 3,687 (€1,880), marking an increase of 9.4% compared to the same period in 2024. At the same time, average quarterly expenditure per person rose by 5.6% to BGN 3,203 (€1,635).
Salaries accounted for the largest share of total income at 58.3%, followed by pensions at 29.6%, and self-employment earnings at 7.6%. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, the proportion of income from salaries increased by 3.9 percentage points, while pensions’ share fell by 0.6 points.
In nominal terms, salary income climbed from BGN 1,835 (€935) to BGN 2,149 (€1,095), reflecting a 17.1% increase. Income from self-employment rose from BGN 260 (€133) to BGN 292 (€149) (up 8.4%), pensions increased from BGN 1,019 (€520) to BGN 1,090 (€555) (up 7%), while social benefits and allowances decreased from BGN 69 (€35) to BGN 56 (€29), an 18.8% drop.
On the expenditure side, the largest portion of household spending went to food and non-alcoholic beverages (29.6%), followed by taxes and social security payments (15.8%), housing (15.0%), and transport and communications (11.3%).
Spending on food and non-alcoholic beverages increased from BGN 888 (€453) to BGN 948 (€483). Alcoholic drinks and cigarettes rose from BGN 123 (€63) to BGN 139 (€71). Taxes and social security contributions went up from BGN 425 (€217) to BGN 506 (€258). Housing costs, including water, electricity, and heating, increased slightly from BGN 469 (€239) to BGN 480 (€245), and transport and communication expenses climbed from BGN 348 (€177) to BGN 363 (€185). Spending on healthcare decreased marginally from BGN 182 (€93) to BGN 181 (€92).
The data shows that household income is rising faster than spending, driven mainly by salary growth, although cost pressures continue in areas such as food, housing, and taxes.
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