Severe Material Deprivation Affects One in Five Pensioners in Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, one in five pensioners faces severe material deprivation, according to data from Eurostat. This situation means that these individuals are lacking at least seven out of the 13 essential elements necessary for a decent standard of living. These include the ability to cover unexpected expenses, afford a week-long vacation each year, regularly eat meat, or adequately heat their homes. The percentage of people over the age of 65 in severe deprivation in Bulgaria is 21%, which is significantly higher than the EU average of 5.5%. Only Romania has a worse situation, with 23.7% of seniors in severe deprivation.

While the material deprivation rate is high among the elderly, the overall situation in Bulgaria is equally alarming. In total, 16.6% of people in the country live in severe material deprivation. Among women, the rate is slightly higher at 17.6%, compared to 15.5% for men. When compared to more economically developed nations, Bulgarian women experience high levels of poverty. Romania is the only EU country with a worse situation for women, where 21.2% of women face severe deprivation. In contrast, countries like Slovenia report much lower deprivation rates, with only 2.1% of women experiencing hardship.

Despite the overall reduction in deprivation in both Bulgaria and the EU, the gender gap remains substantial. In the last eight years, the percentage of men experiencing severe deprivation in the EU dropped from 9.1% to 6.5%, while for women, it decreased from 10.2% to 7.2%. However, women consistently face more financial hardship than men, as evidenced by the higher percentage of women who struggle to afford small personal expenses each week. Over the same period, the number of men unable to cover small personal expenses decreased from 14.4% to 10.3%, while for women, the reduction was from 17.7% to 12.8%.

In terms of education, Eurostat's data reveals gender disparities, although the gap has narrowed in recent years. A large portion of women with higher education have degrees in the arts, humanities, and health/social care, whereas men are more likely to graduate in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. However, the number of women graduating in STEM disciplines has increased, and more women are entering sectors like information technology. A decade ago, the ratio of men to women in IT was five to one, but now it stands at 4.15 to one. Currently, 7.89 million men and 1.9 million women work in IT across the EU.

The gender gap in part-time work remains significant, with women more likely to work part-time than men. For women, caring for a family member is the primary reason for part-time employment, while for men, education is the second leading factor. Additionally, a higher percentage of men report not finding full-time work, with 26% of men citing this reason, compared to 18.2% of women. Continuing education is also a barrier to full-time work for men (19.3%), while for women, the figure stands at 8%. The role of family care remains the dominant reason for part-time work among women, at 27.2%, compared to 6.8% for men.