site.btaBulgaria Has EU's Second Lowest Actual Individual Consumption Per Capita, Ranks at Union's Bottom in GDP Per Capita

In 2023, Bulgaria had the second lowest actual individual consumption per capita in the EU, expressed in purchasing power standards (PPS), according to data released by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) on Wednesday.

In 2023, actual individual consumption (AIC) per capita expressed in purchasing power standards (PPS) varied from 70% to 138% of the EU average across the 27 EU countries.

In 2023, 10 EU countries recorded AIC per capita above the EU average. The highest levels were recorded in Luxembourg (38% above the EU average), Austria and the Netherlands (both 17%). Meanwhile, 17 EU countries recorded AIC per capita below the EU average, with the lowest levels recorded in Hungary (30% below the EU average), Bulgaria (27%), Slovakia and Latvia (both 25%).

AIC includes all goods and services that households use, irrespective of whether they were purchased and paid for by households directly, by government, or by nonprofit organizations. It can be considered as an indicator of the material welfare of households.

In 2023, Luxembourg and Ireland recorded the highest levels of GDP per capita in the EU, at 139% and 111% above the EU average. Bulgaria was the EU Member State with the lowest GDP per capita, at 36 % below the EU average.