For the Ever More Complete Satisfaction of Workers’ Needs: The Standard of Living in Bulgaria during the Communist Period

Mathias Morrys () and Martin Ivanov ()
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Mathias Morrys: University of York, England
Martin Ivanov: Sofia University, Bulgaria

Proceedings of the Centre for Economic History Research, 2023, vol. 8, 197-208

Abstract: We challenge the view that Centrally Planned Economies functioned well until the mid-1980s, delivering high economic growth and better living standards. As part of a broader research effort into living standards under state socialism, this paper focuses on nutritional evidence. Judged by calorie intake, we show that only in the 1970s did Bulgarian living standards surpass levels achieved already four decades earlier. Our findings are particularly discomforting for the rural population which was the big loser of collectivization and forced industrialization policies after 1946. Big Push industrialization reduced nutritional welfare in addition to coming at high human and societal cost.

Keywords: standard of living; consumption; economic development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I31 I32 N34 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ceh:journl:y:2023:v:8:p:197-208

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