Poverty and living standards in Sliven (Yugoiztochen, Bulgaria): official figures

The at-risk-of-poverty rate in Sliven district was 23.9% in the 2025 survey (poverty line of the district itself), 2nd highest of 28 districts; Bulgaria's rate was 21.2%.

What is the poverty line in Sliven district?

The at-risk-of-poverty threshold for a single person in Sliven was 8,402 leva a year in the 2025 survey (about 700 leva a month, based on 2024 incomes), 81% of the national threshold of 10,400 leva.

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

How unequal is income in Sliven district?

The richest fifth of households in Sliven had 8.4 times the income of the poorest fifth in the 2025 survey, and the Gini coefficient was 37.7 (Bulgaria: 7.0 times and 37.7).

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

What is the crime rate in Sliven district?

Police registered 1,874 crimes against persons and property in Sliven district in 2024, 11.1 per 1,000 residents (12th highest of 28 districts; national 11.6).

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

How many pensioners are there in Sliven district?

49,729 pensioners lived in Sliven at the end of 2024, equal to 29.4% of its population against 31.5% nationally (5th lowest of 28 districts).

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

How many homes are there in Sliven district?

Sliven district had 96,879 dwellings at the end of 2024, 572 per 1,000 residents, up 4.0% since 2019.

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

Is there water rationing in Sliven district?

In 2024, 17.80% of the population of Sliven lived under a water-supply regime (rationed supply), against 5.77% nationally; 62.2% were connected to public sewerage and 56.0% to wastewater treatment plants.

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

How big are homes in Sliven district?

Homes in Sliven offered 36.3 square metres of living floor space per resident at the end of 2024, the least of 28 districts (national 42.6).

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

How many new homes are built in Sliven district?

211 new dwellings were completed in Sliven in 2024, 1.25 per 1,000 residents compared with 3.26 for Bulgaria.

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

More figures

The poverty rate in Sliven rose from 18.3% in the 2024 survey to 23.9% in 2025; in the 2019 survey it was 30.1%. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
33.5% of the population of Sliven lived in severe material and social deprivation in 2025, and 42.0% were at risk of poverty or social exclusion (national 15.0% and 29.0%). Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
54.4% of crimes against persons and property in Sliven were solved in 2024 (national 49.5%), and police uncovered 155 economic crimes causing 890 thousand leva of damage. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy
Courts imposed penalties for 927 crimes committed in Sliven district in 2024 and convicted 926 people, 54.7 per 10,000 residents (national 33.9); 9.0% of those convicted were women. Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

How Sliven compares with other provinces in Bulgaria

At-risk-of-poverty rate, regional poverty line (%) (2025)

Sliven ranks 2 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 (%)
1	Stara Zagora	28.4%
2	Sliven	23.9%
3	Targovishte	23.7%
4	Lovech	22.8%
5	Sofia	21.9%
6	Pazardzhik	21.9%
7	Sofia (stolitsa)	21.5%

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

At-risk-of-poverty threshold, single person (leva a year) (2025)

Sliven ranks 22 of 28, highest first. Survey year 2025 (2024 incomes)

Rank	Area	At-risk-of-poverty threshold, single person (leva a year)
19	Pleven	8,790
20	Montana	8,643
21	Targovishte	8,558
22	Sliven	8,402
23	Haskovo	8,340
24	Razgrad	8,269
25	Veliko Tarnovo	8,226

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

At risk of poverty or social exclusion (%) (2025)

Sliven ranks 2 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%

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

Registered crimes against persons and property per 1,000 residents (2024)

Sliven ranks 12 of 28, highest first.

Rank	Area	Registered crimes against persons and property per 1,000 residents
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
15	Kyustendil	10.7

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

Pensioners as a share of the population (%) (2024)

Sliven ranks 24 of 28, highest first. At 31 December 2024

Rank	Area	Pensioners as a share of the population (%)
21	Stara Zagora	32.3%
22	Sofia	30.2%
23	Blagoevgrad	29.4%
24	Sliven	29.4%
25	Plovdiv	28.9%
26	Burgas	27.5%
27	Varna	26.9%

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

Population under a water-supply regime (%) (2024)

Sliven ranks 4 of 28, highest first. Share of residents with rationed public water supply

Rank	Area	Population under a water-supply regime (%)
1	Lovech	56.34%
2	Pleven	51.14%
3	Targovishte	33.83%
4	Sliven	17.80%
5	Pernik	14.06%
6	Shumen	10.79%
7	Gabrovo	8.11%

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

People convicted per 10,000 residents (2024)

Sliven ranks 4 of 28, highest first. By place where the crime was committed

Rank	Area	People convicted per 10,000 residents
1	Yambol	82.9
2	Haskovo	60.7
3	Vratsa	56.6
4	Sliven	54.7
5	Dobrich	49.1
6	Stara Zagora	48.7
7	Razgrad	47.1

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

Living floor space per resident (square metres) (2024)

Sliven ranks 28 of 28, highest first.

Rank	Area	Living floor space per resident (square metres)
22	Silistra	39.2
23	Ruse	38.6
24	Sofia (stolitsa)	37.9
25	Plovdiv	37.4
26	Razgrad	37.1
27	Shumen	37.0
28	Sliven	36.3

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

New dwellings completed per 1,000 residents (2024)

Sliven ranks 19 of 28, highest first.

Rank	Area	New dwellings completed per 1,000 residents
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
22	Razgrad	0.46

Source: National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI) · saved copy

More on Sliven: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government and politics · Yugoiztochen · 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…)

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