Bulgaria 's purchasing power stands at about 60% of the European average, as highlighted by Assoc. Prof. Grigor Sariyski from the Institute for Economic Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences during an interview with Bulgarian National Radio. He noted significant disparities in economic indicators between Bulgaria and other EU countries, particularly Romania. Sariyski pointed out that Romania, which had comparable purchasing power to Bulgaria in 2006-2007, now surpasses it significantly,