4,598 people in Bulgaria do not receive their real pension because it is limited by a "ceiling" of 3,400 leva. This is according to data from the National Social Security Institute as of December 31, 2024, reports the Bulgarian National Radio. At most 956 pensioners would receive over 850 leva more if this limitation did not exist.
Data from the National Social Security Institute show that the so-called pension ceiling saves over 2,900,000 leva per month from pension costs. For example, the largest group of those with limitations, who would receive over 850 leva more if there were no "ceiling" and whose pensions would actually be over 4,250 leva per month, save 1,900,000 leva from the pension budget. 293 of them are from the "Security" sector.
Another 70 people would receive up to 850 leva above the maximum if there were no limitation. For example, 446 people would receive up to 100 leva above the "ceiling". The NSSI data also indicate that over 936,000 receive minimum pensions. Over half a million of them have a minimum pension for length of service and age, which last year was 580.57 leva.
When the actual amount of the pension is below the minimum, the solidarity pension system pays extra to reach it. Last year, such a supplement was made for nearly 800,000 pensioners, totaling over 130 million leva per month. For the majority of these people, the monthly amounts for supplementing to the minimum amounts are over 30 leva.
Annually, pension expenses at the expense of the State Social Security are over 21 billion leva, and the number of pensioners is approximately 2 million people. For 2024, the average pension is 883 leva.