The expenses of Bulgarian households have risen dramatically. For a year, the sum needed for a family of three to cover the cost of living has increased by about BGN 366 (185 euros) and the necessary net monthly income reaches BGN 2,432 (1,246 EUR). A single-member household needs EUR 690 a month to be able to cover expenses such as food, housing, education, health care, clothing, transportation, entertainment and recreation. This is shown by the analysis of consumer prices and living expenses for the fourth quarter of 2022, presented by the Institute for Social and Trade Union Studies at the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria. The data show that due to the deepening inflation and the rising prices of essential goods, the incomes of workers in all sectors in the country are lagging behind, but the most striking thing is the insufficient growth of the minimum monthly salary, which reached BGN 780 (EUR 399) on January 1. This dooms hundreds of families to poverty and deprivation, CITUB experts say.

"Claims that wages in this country are low because prices are low are not true because people who work for the minimum salary consume just the basic food products and the rise in prices is most noticeable for them," Lyuboslav Kostov, director of the Institute at CITUB, says and adds:

"For example, the price of eggs here has risen by an average of 65%, compared to 30% in the EU. The price of cheese rose by 38%, while the average rise in the EU is 26%. The increase in prices of all basic goods in Bulgaria is nearly double the average reported in the EU. All this suggest deepening of inequality.”

The CITUB research on the real purchasing power in this country shows that impoverishment can be seen in all sectors, as the loss of purchasing power is the greatest among those employed in the public sector.

CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov sees the lack of a regular state budget for 2023 as a major shortcoming. "We see the political reality in the country, but adopting a new budget after the elections is necessary, as well as raising the incomes," Plamen Dimitrov has told Radio Bulgaria:

"About 40% of the inflationary growth in this country comes from two directions. One is a speculative increase in the prices of goods and services that are not controlled by the regulatory bodies. The second reason for the high price rise is the attempt of Bulgarian producers, especially food producers, to include the price levels of energy carriers and all other increased costs in the market price. To all this we must add speculation and that's what is creating this unprecedented price hike, especially when it comes to food products. There has been no similar increase in prices in other EU member states and we should not forget that the incomes in Bulgaria are several times lower than the average for the EU. The paradox is that our prices are the same or close to the European ones and our incomes are 4-5 times lower. There is no other solution except income adjustment. Inflation and the feeling of impoverishment among Bulgarian workers is very visible at the moment. People are getting impatient and mass strike actions are expected," the president of the CITUB, one of the two major trade unions in the country, said in conclusion.

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