Eurobarometer poll: Fewer Bulgarians expect their standard of living to increase

Just 15 per cent of Bulgarians believe that their standard of living will increase in the next five years, according to a poll done by Eurobarometer in November, a drop of five percentage points compared with the equivalent poll done in May.

Thirty-four cent believe that their standard of living will decrease, up by seven percentage points compared with May 2025, while 41 per cent believe that their standard of living will not change, down by two percentage points compared with May.

Across the EU, while most respondents expect their standard of living to remain stable over the next five years, a substantial share (28 per cent) anticipate a decline, especially in countries where economic uncertainty is more acutely felt, Eurobarometer said.

The expectation that their standard of living will fall is strongest among French (45 per cent), Belgian and Slovak citizens (both 40 per cent).

Forty-six per cent of Bulgarians see the country’s membership of the EU as a good thing, up by one percentage point, 35 per cent as neither good nor bad, down by five percentage points, and 17 per cent as a bad thing, up by four percentage points.

Across the EU, the percentage of those who see their country’s membership of the EU as a good thing is 62, up by two percentage points, 26 per cent as neither good nor bad, down by one percentage point, and as a bad thing, 11 per cent, down by one percentage point.

Geopolitical turbulence is having a major impact on Europeans’ perceptions, with the majority (52 per cent) saying they are pessimistic about the future of the world, 39 per cent that they are pessimistic about the future of the EU and 41 per cent that they are pessimistic about the future of their country.

In Bulgaria, 38 per cent are pessimistic about the future of the world, 40 per cent pessimistic about the future of the EU and 41 per cent pessimistic about the future of the country.

Across the EU, worries relating to security and safety are high across all topics tested, with the following concerns topping the list: conflicts near the EU (72 per cent), terrorism (67 per cent), cyber-attacks from non-EU countries (66 per cent), natural disasters worsened by climate change (66 per cent), and uncontrolled migration flows (65 per cent).

In Bulgaria, the top concern is natural disasters made worse by climate change (65 per cent), while conflicts near the EU and uncontrolled migration flows each scored 59 per cent.

The poll in Bulgaria was done among 1046 people, through interviews, from November 6 to 26 2025.

(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)