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Bulgaria's average annual salary rises 5.3% to €16,201 in 2025 but stays lowest in the EU

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Open-plan office with rows of desks and computer screens in soft morning light Macroeconomic Data
Open-plan office with rows of desks and computer screens in soft morning light

Eurostat data show Bulgarian full-time adjusted pay reached 39.1% of the EU average of €41,464, up from 33.3% in 2022, as annual growth slowed from 14% in 2024.

The average annual full-time adjusted salary of employees in Bulgaria reached €16,201 in 2025, an increase of 5.3% on the previous year, according to Eurostat data published on 6 November and reported by BTA. Despite the rise, Bulgaria remained at the bottom of the European Union ranking.

The Bulgarian figure was €15,387 in 2024, €13,503 in 2023 and €11,880 in 2022, which means it rose by €4,321, or 36.4%, over three years. Growth has slowed, however: after increases of 13.7% in 2023 and 14% in 2024, the rise in 2025 was 5.3%.

The EU average reached €41,464 in 2025, up 4.3% from €39,773 in 2024. It was €37,879 in 2023 and €35,671 in 2022, an increase of 16.2% between 2022 and 2025, much slower than in Bulgaria. As a result, Bulgaria's level reached 39.1% of the EU average in 2025, compared with 38.7% in 2024 and 33.3% in 2022.

The highest average annual salary was in Luxembourg, at €85,609, followed by Denmark with €73,500 and Ireland with €64,387. Belgium recorded €61,984, Austria €60,727 and Germany €56,360.

After Bulgaria, the lowest levels were in Greece, at €18,772, and Hungary, at €20,138. Romania reached €20,818 and Slovakia €21,661. Croatia recorded €26,933 and Slovenia €37,586, compared with €19,580 and €30,261 respectively in 2022.

Eurostat's indicator combines national accounts and Labour Force Survey data and expresses part-time salaries as full-time equivalents. The figures are not adjusted for inflation, so the increases are nominal and do not directly show changes in purchasing power. For investors, the data point to labour costs that remain well below the EU average while converging with it over time.

Sources