Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, published official figures on January 2026 indicating that 46.0 per cent of total consumer spending in the EU went towards basic necessities. ^[1] Eurostat data shows Bulgarian households spent 22.3% of their budgets on food in 2024, compared to the EU average of 16.3%. ^[2] Food, home bills, and transport together account for 46.5% of Bulgarian household spending, according to Eurostat data. ^[3] All three essential categories of food, housing, and transport registered substantial price increases in at least one recent year, driving broader consumer price rises across the bloc. ^[4] The basic necessities category includes food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing, water and energy, and transport. ^[5] A 10% increase in food prices raises total costs by about 1% for a German but nearly 3% for a Bulgarian, because of the different shares of food spending. ^[6] From January 2024 to January 2025, the share of food spending for Bulgarian families rose by 0.4 percentage points, while in most EU countries it stayed flat or fell, according to Eurostat. ^[7] The figures are part of the 'Key figures on Europe - 2026 edition' report released by Eurostat. ^[8]