Hours of work needed … jobless family claiming minimum income benefits in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Hours of work needed … jobless family claiming minimum income benefits was 20 Hours per week in 2025. ▼ Falling
Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to in Bulgaria, 2008–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Hours per week.
Analysis
The most recent figure for hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in Bulgaria is 20 Hours per week, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.8% on the previous year and down 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in Bulgaria peaked at 37 Hours per week in 2008 and was at its lowest, 20 Hours per week, in 2025.
Bulgaria ranks 10th of 31 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.
Hours of work needed … jobless family claiming minimum income benefits in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Hours per week | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 37 Hours per week | — |
| 2009 | 34 Hours per week | -8.1% |
| 2010 | 28 Hours per week | -17.6% |
| 2011 | 28 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 27 Hours per week | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 28 Hours per week | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 27 Hours per week | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 24 Hours per week | -11.1% |
| 2016 | 25 Hours per week | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 22 Hours per week | -12.0% |
| 2018 | 25 Hours per week | +13.6% |
| 2019 | 24 Hours per week | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 25 Hours per week | +4.2% |
| 2021 | 23 Hours per week | -8.0% |
| 2022 | 24 Hours per week | +4.3% |
| 2023 | 23 Hours per week | -4.2% |
| 2024 | 21 Hours per week | -8.7% |
| 2025 | 20 Hours per week | -4.8% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 20 Hours per week is above the median for high income countries, which is 20 Hours per week, 1.0× the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 20 Hours per week is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 20 Hours per week, 1.0× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 35.5 Hours per week | 34 Hours per week | 37 Hours per week | 2 |
| 2010s | 25.8 Hours per week | 22 Hours per week | 28 Hours per week | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.67 Hours per week | 20 Hours per week | 25 Hours per week | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 8 Türkiye 8 Hours per week compare
- 8 Austria 23 Hours per week compare
- 9 Spain 21 Hours per week compare
- 10 Italy 20 Hours per week compare
- 10 Romania 20 Hours per week compare
- 10 Canada 20 Hours per week compare
- 10 Hungary 20 Hours per week compare
- 10 Portugal 20 Hours per week compare
- 10 Switzerland 20 Hours per week compare
- 10 OECD 20 Hours per week compare
More economy & growth data for Bulgaria
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -8.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.48 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.58 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0156 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 316.82 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.1831 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0114 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 231.34 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in Bulgaria?
- Hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in Bulgaria was 20 Hours per week in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 37 Hours per week in 2008.
- What is the lowest hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 20 Hours per week in 2025.
- How does Bulgaria rank for hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to?
- Bulgaria ranks 10th out of 31 countries with data for 2025.
- Is hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to escape poverty for a jobless family claiming minimum income benefits. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This indicator measures the working hours needed to escape poverty for a jobless family claiming minimum income benefits. Calculations for families with children assume 2 children aged 4 and 6 who do not use formal childcare.