Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Trade unions insist that the poverty line be adjusted to the small consumer basket

Photo: bia-bg.com

The National Council for Tripartite Cooperation is discussing the new size of the poverty line for 2026.
The Bulgarian government determines the poverty line based on the Eurostat study "Statistics on Income and Living Conditions" and proposes that the amount be 382 euros, which is 19.7% more than the previous 319 euros.

In its opinion, the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions insists that the poverty line be 400 euros to reflect inflation of the small consumer basket. In addition, the union also wants an annual assessment of the adequacy of the line, by comparing it with a purpose-designed consumer basket that would guarantee the social minimum per person in the household.

For its part, the Podkrepa Labor Union points out that the poverty line should be linked to the actual cost of living in order to guarantee adequate social protection and a decent standard of living for the vulnerable and lowest-income groups of the population.

Employers' organizations support the government's proposed amount for next year, arguing that the current regulations have been implemented correctly and the calculations are correct. The Bulgarian Industrial Association believes that a model that allows for a 20% growth is good, since average incomes are growing by 12 to 14%.


Edited by Darina Grigorova
English: R. Petkova



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Boyko Borissov

Borissov cites EU defence adjustment to claim a 2026 deficit of 2.7%

The ruling party and the opposition argued about the procedure for the Budget Committee meeting before the final vote on the 2006 budget .  Assen Vassilev, chairman of the We Continue the Change party, attempted to block the committee’s extraordinary..

published on 11/26/25 2:15 PM

Agriculture and forestry workers protest for higher salaries

Employees in the agriculture and forestry sector staged a protest in front of the Parliament, demanding higher salaries for workers in departments that are secondary budget administrators. The protest was organized by the National Federation of..

published on 11/26/25 12:34 PM

Bulgarian Judges Association raises concern over new antivirus software

Judges have opposed the introduction of a new antivirus agent on their computers. The magistrates fear that it could violate personal data protection rules and compromise the independence of the judiciary. In an official letter, the Bulgarian..

published on 11/26/25 12:21 PM