Poverty and living standards in Veliko Tarnovo (Severen tsentralen, Bulgaria): official figures
The at-risk-of-poverty rate in Veliko Tarnovo district was 20.4% in the 2025 survey (poverty line of the district itself), 9th highest of 28 districts; Bulgaria's rate was 21.2%.
What is the poverty line in Veliko Tarnovo district?
The at-risk-of-poverty threshold for a single person in Veliko Tarnovo was 8,226 leva a year in the 2025 survey (about 686 leva a month, based on 2024 incomes), 79% of the national threshold of 10,400 leva.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow unequal is income in Veliko Tarnovo district?
The richest fifth of households in Veliko Tarnovo had 4.5 times the income of the poorest fifth in the 2025 survey, and the Gini coefficient was 28.6 (Bulgaria: 7.0 times and 37.7).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyWhat is the crime rate in Veliko Tarnovo district?
Police registered 2,255 crimes against persons and property in Veliko Tarnovo district in 2024, 11.3 per 1,000 residents (11th highest of 28 districts; national 11.6).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many pensioners are there in Veliko Tarnovo district?
69,527 pensioners lived in Veliko Tarnovo at the end of 2024, equal to 34.7% of its population against 31.5% nationally (14th highest of 28 districts).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many homes are there in Veliko Tarnovo district?
Veliko Tarnovo district had 146,785 dwellings at the end of 2024, 732 per 1,000 residents, up 0.6% since 2019.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyIs there water rationing in Veliko Tarnovo district?
In 2024, 6.77% of the population of Veliko Tarnovo lived under a water-supply regime (rationed supply), against 5.77% nationally; 68.2% were connected to public sewerage and 61.9% to wastewater treatment plants.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow big are homes in Veliko Tarnovo district?
Homes in Veliko Tarnovo offered 45.3 square metres of living floor space per resident at the end of 2024, 11th most of 28 districts (national 42.6).
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyHow many new homes are built in Veliko Tarnovo district?
261 new dwellings were completed in Veliko Tarnovo in 2024, 1.30 per 1,000 residents compared with 3.26 for Bulgaria.
Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copyMore figures
- The poverty rate in Veliko Tarnovo rose from 12.4% in the 2024 survey to 20.4% in 2025; in the 2019 survey it was 23.0%. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- 23.8% of the population of Veliko Tarnovo lived in severe material and social deprivation in 2025, and 36.9% were at risk of poverty or social exclusion (national 15.0% and 29.0%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- 61.1% of crimes against persons and property in Veliko Tarnovo were solved in 2024 (national 49.5%), and police uncovered 119 economic crimes causing 88 thousand leva of damage. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
- Courts imposed penalties for 749 crimes committed in Veliko Tarnovo district in 2024 and convicted 686 people, 34.2 per 10,000 residents (national 33.9); 7.3% of those convicted were women. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
How Veliko Tarnovo compares with other provinces in Bulgaria
At-risk-of-poverty rate, regional poverty line (%) (2025)
Veliko Tarnovo ranks 9 of 28, highest first. Survey year 2025 (2024 incomes); each district measured against its own poverty threshold
| Rank | Area | At-risk-of-poverty rate, regional poverty line (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Pazardzhik | 21.9% |
| 7 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 21.5% |
| 8 | Yambol | 21.1% |
| 9 | Veliko Tarnovo | 20.4% |
| 10 | Varna | 20.3% |
| 11 | Dobrich | 19.8% |
| 12 | Shumen | 19.7% |
At-risk-of-poverty threshold, single person (leva a year) (2025)
Veliko Tarnovo ranks 25 of 28, highest first. Survey year 2025 (2024 incomes)
| Rank | Area | At-risk-of-poverty threshold, single person (leva a year) |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Sliven | 8,402 |
| 23 | Haskovo | 8,340 |
| 24 | Razgrad | 8,269 |
| 25 | Veliko Tarnovo | 8,226 |
| 26 | Kardzhali | 8,166 |
| 27 | Vidin | 7,972 |
| 28 | Silistra | 6,962 |
At risk of poverty or social exclusion (%) (2025)
Veliko Tarnovo ranks 4 of 28, highest first. Survey year 2025
| Rank | Area | At risk of poverty or social exclusion (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Razgrad | 42.7% |
| 2 | Sliven | 42.0% |
| 3 | Stara Zagora | 37.7% |
| 4 | Veliko Tarnovo | 36.9% |
| 5 | Pazardzhik | 34.2% |
| 6 | Pleven | 34.0% |
| 7 | Targovishte | 33.9% |
Registered crimes against persons and property per 1,000 residents (2024)
Veliko Tarnovo ranks 11 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Registered crimes against persons and property per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Sofia (stolitsa) | 12.5 |
| 9 | Stara Zagora | 11.7 |
| 10 | Pernik | 11.3 |
| 11 | Veliko Tarnovo | 11.3 |
| 12 | Sliven | 11.1 |
| 13 | Pleven | 10.8 |
| 14 | Dobrich | 10.7 |
Pensioners as a share of the population (%) (2024)
Veliko Tarnovo ranks 14 of 28, highest first. At 31 December 2024
| Rank | Area | Pensioners as a share of the population (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Pernik | 36.5% |
| 12 | Montana | 35.8% |
| 13 | Yambol | 34.7% |
| 14 | Veliko Tarnovo | 34.7% |
| 15 | Ruse | 34.7% |
| 16 | Targovishte | 34.4% |
| 17 | Dobrich | 34.2% |
Population under a water-supply regime (%) (2024)
Veliko Tarnovo ranks 8 of 28, highest first. Share of residents with rationed public water supply
| Rank | Area | Population under a water-supply regime (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Pernik | 14.06% |
| 6 | Shumen | 10.79% |
| 7 | Gabrovo | 8.11% |
| 8 | Veliko Tarnovo | 6.77% |
| 9 | Kyustendil | 6.20% |
| 10 | Blagoevgrad | 5.85% |
| 11 | Stara Zagora | 3.84% |
People convicted per 10,000 residents (2024)
Veliko Tarnovo ranks 20 of 28, highest first. By place where the crime was committed
| Rank | Area | People convicted per 10,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Shumen | 35.7 |
| 18 | Ruse | 35.3 |
| 19 | Targovishte | 34.8 |
| 20 | Veliko Tarnovo | 34.2 |
| 21 | Varna | 32.0 |
| 22 | Pazardzhik | 30.8 |
| 23 | Plovdiv | 29.7 |
Living floor space per resident (square metres) (2024)
Veliko Tarnovo ranks 11 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Living floor space per resident (square metres) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Smolyan | 51.7 |
| 9 | Gabrovo | 51.0 |
| 10 | Vratsa | 45.9 |
| 11 | Veliko Tarnovo | 45.3 |
| 12 | Dobrich | 44.7 |
| 13 | Targovishte | 43.7 |
| 14 | Blagoevgrad | 42.1 |
New dwellings completed per 1,000 residents (2024)
Veliko Tarnovo ranks 18 of 28, highest first.
| Rank | Area | New dwellings completed per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Pleven | 1.53 |
| 16 | Shumen | 1.47 |
| 17 | Yambol | 1.37 |
| 18 | Veliko Tarnovo | 1.30 |
| 19 | Sliven | 1.25 |
| 20 | Ruse | 0.99 |
| 21 | Vratsa | 0.64 |
More on Veliko Tarnovo: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government and politics · Severen tsentralen · Bulgaria
Sources
- National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI): Regions, districts and municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria 2024 (yearbook tables by statistical region, district and municipality), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 81cba27bb0cc…)
- National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI): Poverty and Social Inclusion Indicators by District, survey years 2008-2025 (EU-SILC), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cc02ad48dd42…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.