The budgets of Bulgaria’s households have been subject to significant price pressure. “Not so long ago, we could go shopping with EUR 10-15. Now, we spend twice more on the same products and our salaries have not seen any increase at all”, Bulgarian consumers say. Inflation in this country is higher than forecasted. The annual inflation rate continues to increase. In September, inflation stood at 4.8% year on year, the highest since September 2012, data of the National Statistical Institute show.

In 2021, 94% of the goods and services included in the consumer basket became more expensive, a detailed analysis of the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research at the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria shows. This was due to the higher prices of gas, electricity and oil. According to the national statistics, in September the total producer price index increased by 3.1% as compared to the same month last year, which inevitably impacts the end price.

“Every price increase seriously affects consumers in Bulgaria”–  says Rositsa Makelova, Scientific Secretary at the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research at the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria.

“Almost 1.7 million Bulgarians live below the poverty line and nearly 2.3 million people are without sufficient heat in the winter. Half of the country’s population will reduce their heating costs in the winter. We need to pay special attention to the pensioners, who are affected by every price increase, because their incomes are very low. Any price increase has a negative impact on single parents, large families and single-member households. Therefore, it may be impossible for many social groups to meet the increased cost of living. According to the survey, conducted once in three months, a single-person household needs a net income of EUR 564 per month, whereas a three-member household needs EUR 1,015 to live a normal life. However, the number of households receiving this money is not that big. ”

The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) insists that incomes increase by the end of 2021.CITUB calls for a significant increase of the minimum monthly salary, which in their view, would help Bulgarians maintain their purchasing power and would mitigate inflationary pressure.

I will settle in a Bulgarian village where people are not that worried about prices and anti-epidemic measures, says former athlete Petar Markov from Sofia:

“We are fed up with prices and the Covid-19 pandemic. Prices are going up artificially. Those who bought something several months ago are now selling it at a higher price. I have not refrained from buying anything until now, but I don’t know what will happen from now on. We have not yet felt the increase in the electricity price. If the forthcoming winter is warm, we will be able to save on electricity.”

Tatyana Slavova is a pensioner and lives alone. She has to revise her budget after every price increase. Her pension amounts to less than EUR 250 per month. According to her estimates, she will have to buy less food from now on:

“What should we buy first? We cannot save on anything. We have to pay our utility costs at a regular basis, which means that we will spend less on food. In my view, the price of some goods increased by more than 50%.”

Written by: Gergana Mancheva

English version: Kostadin Atanasov