Bulgaria's Retail Sales Surge as EU Faces Decline
Retail sales across the European Union showed a decline in December, with both the eurozone and the EU reporting decreases
Every third Bulgarian lives at risk of poverty or social exclusion, Eurostat data for poverty level in the Member States in 2018 showed. About 2.3 million people in the country live below the poverty line, which in Bulgaria is officially BGN 350 per month.
In 2018, more than a quarter of the population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion in seven Member States: Bulgaria (32.8%)
At the opposite end of the scale, the lowest shares of persons being at risk of poverty or social exclusion were recorded in Czechia (12.2%), Slovenia (16.2%), Slovakia (16.3%, 2017 data), Finland (16.5%), the Netherlands (16.7%), Denmark and France (both 17.4%) and Austria (17.5%)
The largest decrease was observed in Bulgaria (from 44.8% to 32.8%, or -12.0 pp), Romania (-11.7 pp) and Poland (-11.6 pp), followed by Hungary (-8.6 pp) and Latvia (-5.8 pp).
Across the EU Member States, more than 1 in 5 persons were at risk of income poverty in Romania (23.5%), Latvia (23.3%), Lithuania (22.9%), Bulgaria (22.0%), Estonia (21.9%), Spain (21.5%) and Italy (20.3%). In contrast, the lowest rates were observed in Czechia (9.6%), Finland (12.0%), Slovakia (12.4%, 2017 data), Denmark (12.7%), Hungary (12.8%), the Netherlands and Slovenia (both 13.3%) and France (13.4%). Compared with 2008, the proportion of persons at risk of income poverty has increased in sixteen Member States, for which data are available, and decreased in eight.
The average percentage for the EU is 21.
Bulgaria has joined Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro in organizing protests against rising food prices
A drone spotted near Sofia Airport caused flight delays last night, the airport’s press center confirmed, as reported by BTA.
In honor of International Marriage Week (February 7-14), Ruse Mayor Pencho Milkov congratulated Kalya and Miho Mihovi, the oldest married couple in the municipality, who have been together for 73 years.
Cybercriminals are mass-distributing fake emails in Bulgaria, posing as law firms, with the goal of infecting recipients' computers with a Trojan virus.
A person was killed in a shooting in Brussels on Friday, believed to be connected to clashes between rival drug gangs, the local prosecutor’s office reported, citing Reuters.
Burgas has officially launched its bid to become the European Capital of Culture for 2032, taking the first step in the extensive preparation process
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