Close to 10% of Bulgarians fall into the category of ''extremely poor'', living with under 40% of the income earned by the middle class.

This has been shown by a research conducted by the Institute for Market Economy on the issue of poverty in Bulgaria and was presented by Petar Ganev Tuesday, as reported by OFF News.

According to the findings, approximately 50% of the people living in poverty have not obtained higher education and their children often follow the same path.

Additionally, close to two thirds of households with two adults and three children are poor. The problem is deemed to be related with ethnicity, as the majority of these families are of Roma origin.

A further alarming fact points to the fact that 21% of Bulgarians are facing a risk of poverty, and obtain income up to 60% of that of the middle class. Out of them, 335,000 are kids, 210,000 are emplyed, 190,000 are unemployed, 360,000 are not actively looking for jobs, and 440,000 are retired.

According to the National Statistical Institute, the median salary in the private sector for the last quarter of 2014 has been BGN 862 and BGN 967 for the public sector.

The portion of permanently employed of those close to the levels of extreme poverty has decreased by 65,000 people and the number of retired by another 100,000. The number of children also remains alarmingly high - 205,000 and as well as that of people willingly not participating in the labor force - 180,000.

Regions vary in their poverty levels, with Sofia showing little more than 5% of people under the extreme poverty line. The municipalities scoring worst are Vidin with 50% of the population living in poverty, then followed by Sliven and Pazardzhik.

Ganev noted that poverty levels are also directly correlated to the portion of people with higher education and the existence of Roma neighborhoods, thus explaining the demographic landscape.