Bulgaria has recorded the strongest improvement in living standards across the European Union in 2025, according to preliminary Eurostat data on actual individual consumption, a key indicator of household well-being.
The figures show that Bulgaria’s actual individual consumption rose by 4 percentage points over the past year, reaching 77% of the EU average. The increase marks a continued upward shift for the country, which until 2022 ranked last in the bloc on this metric.
As a result of this progress, Bulgaria is now positioned ahead of three EU member states: Hungary, Latvia, and Estonia. It is also level with Slovakia, which is recorded at the same 77% level.
The indicator measures the total value of goods and services consumed by individuals, whether paid directly by households or provided through public systems such as healthcare and education. It is widely used to reflect real living standards rather than income alone.
The improvement is linked to sustained growth in real incomes in Bulgaria in recent years, which has outpaced the EU average. Although prices have also increased, they continue to remain comparatively lower than in many Western European economies, contributing to the upward movement in the indicator.
