Overview of Human Rights in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a parliamentary democracy. While, in theory, the government tries to respect the civil and human rights of its citizens, there are numerous areas in which reforms need to occur. There is widespread corruption in the executive and judicial branches of government. This corruption trickles down to the law enforcement authorities as well. The police are known to use excessive force and torture against not only criminals but members of the ethnic minorities as well. Discrimination against persons with disabilities, certain religious sects, minority groups, and children are society-based as well as being tacitly sanctioned by the government. Child labor and trafficking are problems that worsening with each passing year.  Finally, the government places restrictions on freedom of the press and religion at will.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

54th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.