One in three people in Bulgaria lives in an overcrowded home: 32.5% of the population in 2025, putting the country third in the EU, Eurostat said today.

Among young people aged 15 to 29, the share is 52.8%, also third in the EU. Both figures are down slightly from 2024, when 33.8% of all people and 53.2% of young people lived in overcrowded homes.

Across the EU, 16.8% of people live in overcrowded homes on average, against 16.9% a year earlier. Among Europeans aged 15 to 29, the share is 26.9%, up 0.4 percentage points from 2024.

Across the EU, young people are 10.1 percentage points above the general population. In Bulgaria the gap is 20.3 points, making it one of three EU countries where the gap is at least 20 points.

Romania ranks ahead of Bulgaria with 40.4% of its whole population, and Latvia with 38.9%. The order is the same for young people: 60.4% in Romania and 54.9% in Latvia. In Greece, 48.4% of young people and 28.3% of the whole population live in overcrowded homes.

The fewest young people living in such homes are in Cyprus, at 3.5%, followed by Ireland with 7.4% and Malta with 7.7%.

Under Eurostat's rule, a home counts as overcrowded if it has fewer rooms than the minimum needed, based on how many people live there and their ages and family ties.