Good education, accessible health care and the eradication of extreme poverty – these are the top priorities for creating good human capital in Bulgaria, say more than two-thirds (64%) of Bulgarians. Only 27% believe this can happen automatically by raising incomes and living standards, indicates a survey by the Friedrich Ebert foundation.

According to survey data 65% of the poor are people with secondary or university (20%) education. Contrary to the belief that poor people are among the minorities, figures show that 80% of the poverty-stricken are from the Bulgarian ethnic group. Two-thirds (64%) of them are people aged under 50. More than half of the respondents (56%) say that access to high-quality medical care in the health care system is minimal or even zero. 85% believe that access to good healthcare is a human right and the state must provide it to everyone in equal measure. The same holds true (87%) of access to high-quality education for children.