Bulgaria remains among EU countries with lowest affordability of meat products

In 2025, 15.8% of Bulgaria’s population could not financially afford to consume meat or meat products at least every other day. This was almost twice the EU average of 8.5%, according to Eurostat data.

At the same time, the situation in Bulgaria has been gradually improving for 13 consecutive years. The share stood at 51.9% in 2012, fell to 39.5% in 2014, 27.6% in 2019, 19.9% in 2023 and 18.7% in 2024.

Despite the positive trend, Bulgaria remains among the EU countries with the highest share of people facing financial difficulties in consuming meat products regularly. Only Romania recorded a higher figure in 2025, at 18.1%. Hungary stood at 15.1%, Slovakia at 14.2% and Greece at 12.8%.

Financial constraints also affected other categories of spending. In 2025, 14.5% of people in Bulgaria could not regularly participate in leisure activities, compared with an EU average of 12.1%. Bulgaria ranked sixth in the bloc by this indicator.

In addition, 5.9% of Bulgaria’s population could not afford home internet access for personal use. This was the second-highest share in the EU after Romania, although it declined from 7% in 2024.

Tags: Bulgaria, EU, meat