Personal finance

As of January, there are 2,065,573 pensioners in Bulgaria, with the average basic pension amounting to 835.91 leva, excluding additional supplements. A significant portion of the pensioner population, over 423,000 people, receive pensions below 580.57 leva, while another 390,000 are at the exact minimum of 580.57 leva, which is the lowest pension rate for length of service and age.

Nearly 120,000 young Bulgarians are currently in debt, with enforcement cases filed against them. This information was shared by the Chamber of Private Enforcement Agents during a training session organized as part of the National Campaign "Managing Personal Finances and Credits - Basic Rules and Informed Decisions," BTA reports.

Petar Ganev, a senior researcher at the Institute for Market Economics, stated in an interview with Bulgarian National Radio that it is highly likely Bulgarians will begin making payments in euros starting from January 1 next year, despite the political turmoil in the country.

Greece's 2025 budget includes 2.95 billion euros for interventions related to raising disposable income, exercising social policy and dealing with the low demographic issue.

Increasing the retirement age based on changes in life expectancy or increasing the annual deficit by 0.4% of GDP per year, forever - not for just one year - are the two options of the Greek social security system, per the international organizations. The Labor Ministry has made it clear there will be no change by 2027.

The amendment submitted on Wednesday and approved by Parliament ensures free medication for at least 130,000 low-income pensioners, defined as those with a pension or income of €643 or less. This measure will take effect from March 2025.

The state budget will distribute additional funds of more than 2 billion euros in 2025 to retirees, employees and the unemployed, as increases in spending on pensions are foreseen, along with greater state funding to cover the needs of the National Organization for Healthcare Services (EOPYY), due to the reduction in healthcare contributions by one percentage point, as well as an increase in fu

Dozens of retirees gathered Thursday outside the National Social Security Agency in the northern port city of Thessaloniki, protesting years of pension cuts, rising living costs and higher medication expenses.

The National Social Security Institute (NSSI) has reported that the average social security income for October 2024 in Bulgaria stands at 1666.05 leva. This figure, announced by the NSSI's press center, reflects a slight decrease from the previous month, when the average income was 1668.70 leva.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Finance has unveiled the draft budget for 2025, alongside the updated medium-term fiscal forecast covering 2025 to 2028. The draft foresees a 3% deficit for the upcoming four years, while the country's state debt is projected to rise to 81 billion leva by 2028.