The number of Bulgarians receiving pensions from abroad is increasing

By the end of 2024, nearly 80,000 individuals were receiving pensions and supplements under EU regulations and international agreements, according to the National Social Security Institute. These are Bulgarians who have worked in EU countries and other countries with which Bulgaria has contractual agreements. Nearly 80% of them live in Bulgaria.

The largest number of pensions granted for employment abroad comes from Germany (12,500), followed by Spain (11,000). Next come pensions from Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom and Russia. 20% of foreign pensions come from the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Austria, France, Ukraine, Portugal and Poland.

The number of Bulgarians receiving pensions from abroad is growing every year. Over the past four years, the increase has been 50%. Meanwhile, there has been a decline in the number of recipients of Bulgarian pensions paid to individuals who relocated to Turkiye after May 1, 1989—from 14,000 in 2020 to 11,400 by the end of 2024.