Eurostat: People with Disabilities in Bulgaria Face the Harshest Living Conditions in the
Source: Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency)
People with disabilities in Bulgaria face the most severe difficulties in the entire European Union, alongside Greece. This conclusion comes from Eurostat’s 2024 analysis of living conditions across member states. At the other end of the spectrum, Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland are among the countries where the standard of living for people with disabilities is much higher.
The study shows that nearly 30% of disabled people in Bulgaria cannot afford to eat meat or fish every other day – the highest level recorded in the EU. By contrast, the average for the Union is just 12.8%. This points to a significant gap in basic living conditions between Bulgaria and the European average.
Financial insecurity is another major challenge. According to the data, 38% of people with disabilities in Bulgaria are unable to handle unexpected expenses. In addition, almost one in four live in households that struggle to pay monthly bills on time. Among those without disabilities, this share drops to 15%, which highlights the unequal burden faced by disabled communities.
Difficulties with overdue payments are also widespread. In Bulgaria, 18.9% of people with disabilities have fallen behind on payments in the past year. For comparison, the problem is almost nonexistent in the Netherlands, where it affects only 0.8%, and is limited to 1.4% in the Czech Republic.
The survey further underscores limited access to leisure. In 2024, about two-thirds of disabled people in Bulgaria could not afford a one-week vacation, placing the country among the worst performers in the Union, along with Romania, Greece, and Hungary. This lack of opportunity for rest and travel is another factor that deepens social exclusion.
According to official statistics, there are approximately 800,000 people with disabilities in Bulgaria – a number equal to the combined population of Plovdiv and Burgas. For many of them, daily life is defined by financial hardship, the struggle to cover basic needs, and the constant risk of isolation from society.
The original article: belongs to Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) .
