Five thousand people less pay contributions to the National Social Security Institute than the people insured in 1993.

Bulgarians have been ill almost two times longer in 2014 than in 2003. This is what the data from the National Social Security Institute budget performance since 2003 has shown.
11 years ago the National Social Security Institute paid an average of five days sick-leave. In 2014 the length of sick-leaves had already become nine days, according to the Institute. Of those nine days, after the changes in 2010, the first 3 are paid for by the employer, while the National Social Security Institute pays only for 6 days.

However, its sickness expenses for paying sick-leave benefits have increased more than 3 times from 2003 to 2014. If 11 years ago BGN 110 million were paid for sick-leaves, during the past year the sum was already BGN 340 million. The reason was the increased amount of pay for sick-leave was due to the higher wages at the time, explained experts from the Institute. The increased illness duration, on the other hand, is due to the changes in the rules for issuing sick-leave – for flu the sick-leave has already become five days, not 3, as it was 3 years ago.

The insured Bulgarians have decreased by 500 000 people from 1993 to 2013, as it becomes clear from the statistics of the Institute. In 1993, 3.030 million working people paid contributions, while in 2013 – the number was 2.4 million people.

The year with the highest number of contributors was 1997, when 3.2 million people paid contributions. The year with the lowest number of contributors was 2002 – only 2 million people paid for health insurance then.

The annual pensions’ payment costs of the Institute in 2003-2014 increased by BGN 5 billion. Eleven years ago BGN 2.8 billion were paid for pensions, while last year a record of BGN 8.1 billion was reached. The NSSI deficit escalated from BGN 500 million to BGN 1.8 billion per year for the same period.

Five times more Bulgarians died before retirement age.

The death benefits of an insured person, who paid the National Social Security Institute, has increased five times for the period of 10 years. In 2003, only BGN 480 thousand were paid for such benefits, while in 2013 – the sum was nearly BGN 2 million. The benefits for a person who died before qualifying for his/her pension rights, were paid to 10 052 heirs.

The amount the National Social Security Institute hands out to the heirs of deceased insured Bulgarians is BGN 540. It is distributed equally among the heirs – spouse or children. According to the Institute, the average amount of compensation received by an heir decreased from BGN 213.20 in 2003 to BGN 193.95 in 2013. An heir received the highest amount in 2007 – BGN 309.17.