Nearly half of Bulgarians, 46%, rate their standard of living as "rather low" or "very low", a nationally representative survey by the Trend agency for UBB Asset Management and Finance Academy finds.
Of those, 29% call their standard "rather low", while 17% say it is "very low". Almost half, 49%, see their standard as average, and just 4% call their living standard "rather high".
Among people aged 60 to 70, about two in three rate their standard as low. Past age 70, more than three in four say the same.
Asked what would improve their finances going forward, 44% point to extra work or income, 22% say saving is the best answer, and 9% count on investments.
Only 30% of those surveyed save money, while 67% say they put nothing aside. Among those who do save, 35% set aside 6% to 10% of their monthly income. Another 26% of all respondents save up to 5% of their income, and 6% save 21% to 30%. Just 2% save more than 30% of their monthly income.
58% of people have no money set aside for emergencies such as losing a job, an accident or illness, while 42% do have some savings. For 9% of them, that money would last up to a month. For 23%, it would last one to three months. For 17%, four to six months. For 12%, seven to twelve months. And for another 12%, more than a year.
Only 8% of respondents invest, while 91% put no money into financial markets. Investing is more common among people earning over 1,000 euros a month and those aged 30 to 60.
Allianz's Global Wealth Report, out at the end of last month, ranks Bulgaria 36th among the world's richest countries in 2025. Net financial assets per person in Bulgaria stand at 14,790 euros. Bulgarian households' financial assets grew 10% over the year to 136.5 billion euros, slower than the 11.2% growth seen in 2024. Eastern Europe as a whole grew at the same 11.2% rate, against a global average of 8.6%.