Disability Pensions Now Account for 42% of New Retirements in Bulgaria
A significant shift in Bulgaria’s retirement landscape has emerged, with disability pensions now representing 42% of all new pensions granted in 2025. This record-high share indicates that disability claims are rapidly approaching the number of pensions granted based on age and length of service.
According to an analysis by the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) published in the institute’s information bulletin, pensions for disability due to general illness specifically account for 41.9% of all new personal pensions. This trend highlights a growing reliance on disability-based exits from the workforce, potentially signaling broader health challenges within the national labor market.
While disability claims have surged, pensions based on age and insurance length still make up nearly 52% of new grants. Of these, 26,500 individuals met both required conditions for retirement. The NSSI noted a slight decrease in the overall number of pensions granted for age and service, though there was an increase in those who fulfilled all retirement conditions. There has been notable interest among workers in retiring up to one year before reaching the official age requirement.
Last year, the average age for retirement in Bulgaria was 64 years and 3 months. In total, 109,418 people became new pensioners, representing a slight decrease of 195 individuals compared to the previous period.
The breakdown of new pensions shows that personal pensions totaled nearly 98,000, an increase of less than 1%. Conversely, inherited pensions saw a decline of more than 8%, totaling 11,400.
