Bulgaria Sets Poverty Bar Well Above New World Bank Global Minimum

The World Bank has recently updated its international poverty line, raising it to .00 per day. This revision means that anyone worldwide lacking at least daily to cover essential needs is now classified as extremely poor. In 2022, roughly 838 million people fell under this category according to the Bank’s data.

This adjustment reflects new purchasing power parity (PPP) calculations updated in May 2024, which take into account price variations across countries to allow fairer comparisons. The previous global poverty line was set at .15 per day but was based on outdated PPP data from 2017.

Under the current criteria, individuals living below daily are recognized as “extremely poor,” marking a more stringent global standard.

In Bulgaria, however, the poverty threshold remains considerably higher than this global benchmark. For 2025, the national poverty line is set at 638 leva per month, or about 21 leva per day, which exceeds the World Bank’s updated figure significantly.

This represents a notable increase from the previous year’s level, with the threshold rising by 112 leva - a 21.3% increase compared to 2024.

The national poverty line is a critical metric, as it defines eligibility for social assistance programs, child protection benefits, and support for people with disabilities, directly impacting vulnerable populations in Bulgaria.