site.bta21 Per Cent of Bulgarians Were Below the Poverty Line in 2013

21 Per Cent of Bulgarians
Were Below the Poverty Line
in 2013


Sofia, December 15 (BTA) - In 2013, the average monthly poverty
line for Bulgaria was 285.92 leva per person. The persons below
that line numbered 1,527,500, or 21.0 per cent of the country's
population.

Compared to the previous year, the poverty line increased by 2.2
per cent, and the share of the poor population decreased by 0.2
percentage points.

For the entire period observed, the share of the poor was
highest among the unemployed (47.6 per cent), and the risk of
poverty for unemployed men was 0.2 percentage points higher than
for unemployed women.

In 2013, the rate of poverty among employed persons decreased
compared to
the previous year to 7.2 per cent or by 0.2 percentage points.
The share of poor part-time workers was 20.9 per cent, while the
share of poor full-time workers was 6.4 per cent. At the same
time, the risk of poverty among women was 0.5 percentage points
lower than among men.

Poverty is concentrated in elderly single-person households,
single parents with children, and households with three or more
children. The highest risk of poverty was 68.1 per cent in
households with three or more children. Their share increased by
7.1 percentage points compared to 2012. The lowest share of
population at risk of poverty was in households with three or
more adult members (10.7 per cent) and in households with two
adult members aged under 65 (13.8 per cent).

The largest number of households cannot afford to go on a
holiday away from
home (66.3 per cent) and cannot afford unexpected required
expenses with own resources (urgent repair of the dwelling or
car, replacement of washing machine or refrigerator, sudden
illness, etc.) (64.0 per cent). On the other hand, only 4.2 per
cent of Bulgarians cannot afford having a telephone (including
mobile), 1.7 per cent a
colour TV, 9.5 per cent a washing machine. As many as 51.1 per
cent of the households claim that they cannot afford having a
meal with meat, chicken or fish every second day. The share of
persons in households with arrears on the prompt payment of
housing-related costs was 36.1 per cent, and 45.0 per cent of
the households were unable to keep their home adequately warm.

In 2013, 43.0 per cent of the population lived in severe
material deprivation, down by 1.1 percentage points from the
previous year. PK/LG


/СН/