Bulgaria spent 12.1% more on social benefits in 2025 than in 2024. Only Croatia saw a bigger rise in the European Union, according to preliminary Eurostat estimates.

Croatia led with 15.4%, and Lithuania was third with 11.6%. The rises are calculated in euros.

Spending went up in every member state. The smallest rises were in Greece (0.6%), Romania (0.7%) and Finland (1.3%).

Across the EU, social benefits reached 5,183bn euros, 4.9% more than the year before. Even so, their share of the bloc's GDP fell by 0.2 percentage points to 27.5%.

As a share of GDP, Austria spends the most at 32.4%, followed by Finland at 32.2% and France at 32.1%. At the other end are Ireland at 11.7%, Malta at 13.8% and Hungary at 16.7%.

Most of the money in the EU goes on old age, including pensions: 2,152bn euros, or 41.5% of all spending. Sickness and health care comes next with 1,556bn euros, or 30%.

The rest goes on disability, survivors, families and children, unemployment, housing and social exclusion.

The figures are the main indicators of the European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics. Eurostat says countries send in the preliminary estimates voluntarily.