In the third quarter of 2014, the average total income per household member amounted to BGN 1195, down by 3.7% from Q3, 2013, according to Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute (NSI).

Income from wages and salaries accounted for 54.3% of the total, followed by income from pensions, at 26.2%, income from self-employment, at 8.1%, and income from social benefits, at 3.1%.

In Q3, 2014, the relative share of income from wages and salaries registered an increase by 1.4 percentage points (pp) and the relative share of income from pensions went up by 1.1 pp as compared to Q3, 2013.

In nominal terms, the average income per household member changed as follows on an annual basis in Q3, 2014: wages and salaries decreased by 1.2% (from BGN 657 to BGN 649); self-employment income increased by 2.5% (from BGN 94 to BGN 97); income from pensions remained unchanged; income from social benefits increased by 9.1% (from BGN 34 to BGN 37).

In Q3, 2014, the relative share of monetary income was 97.9% of the total and the share of in-kind income amounted to 2.1%.

In Q3, 2014, the total expenditure per household member stood at BGN 1147, or almost unchanged from the level in Q3, 2013.

Food and housing expenditure made up 49.3% of the total expenditure, followed by expenditure on transport and communication with a share of 11.8%.

In Q3, 2014, expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for the largest budget heading of Bulgarian households, at BGN 379 on average per household member.

This type of spending decreased by 2.2% on the year in the third quarter of 2014 and accounted for 33.1% of the total expenditure.

In Q3, 2014, Bulgarian households spent an average of BGN 187 per household member on water, electricity, heating, furnishings and maintenance.

This type of spending made up 16.2% of the total expenditure.