Food Insecurity Experience Scale 2025
Bulgaria, 2025
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Reference ID
BGR_2025_FIES_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Producer(s)
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Metadata
Created on
Aug 11, 2026
Last modified
Aug 11, 2026
Identification
Survey ID number
BGR_2025_FIES_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Title
Food Insecurity Experience Scale 2025
Abbreviation or Acronym
FIES 2025
Country
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Bulgaria | BGR |
Study type
Socio-Economic/Monitoring Survey [hh/sems]
Abstract
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 2.1 commits countries to end hunger, ensure access by all people to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year around. Indicator 2.1.2, “Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)”, provides internationally-comparable estimates of the proportion of the population facing difficulties in accessing food. More detailed background information is available at https://www.fao.org/measuring-hunger/en.
The FIES-based indicators are compiled using the FIES survey module, containing eight questions. Two indicators can be computed:
1. The proportion of the population experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity (SDG indicator 2.1.2),
2. The proportion of the population experiencing severe food insecurity.
These data were collected by FAO through the Gallup World Poll. General information on the methodology can be found here: https://www.gallup.com/178667/gallup-world-poll-work.aspx. National institutions can also collect FIES data by including the FIES survey module in nationally representative surveys.
Microdata can be used to calculate the indicator 2.1.2 at national level. Instructions for computing this indicator are described in the methodological document available in the downloads tab. Disaggregating results at sub-national level is not encouraged because estimates will suffer from substantial sampling and measurement error.
The FIES-based indicators are compiled using the FIES survey module, containing eight questions. Two indicators can be computed:
1. The proportion of the population experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity (SDG indicator 2.1.2),
2. The proportion of the population experiencing severe food insecurity.
These data were collected by FAO through the Gallup World Poll. General information on the methodology can be found here: https://www.gallup.com/178667/gallup-world-poll-work.aspx. National institutions can also collect FIES data by including the FIES survey module in nationally representative surveys.
Microdata can be used to calculate the indicator 2.1.2 at national level. Instructions for computing this indicator are described in the methodological document available in the downloads tab. Disaggregating results at sub-national level is not encouraged because estimates will suffer from substantial sampling and measurement error.
Kind of Data
Sample survey data [ssd]
Unit of Analysis
Individuals
Scope
Notes
The FIES survey module includes the following questions to compute the FIES-based indicators:
During the last 12 months, was there a time when, because of lack of money or other resources:
- You were worried you would not have enough food to eat? (labelled as WORRIED)
- You were unable to eat healthy and nutritious food? (labelled as HEALTHY)
- You ate only a few kinds of foods? (labelled as FEWFOOD)
- You had to skip a meal? (labelled as SKIPPED)
- You ate less than you thought you should? (labelled as ATELESS)
- Your household ran out of food? (labelled as RUNOUT)
- You were hungry but did not eat? (labelled as HUNGRY)
- You went without eating for a whole day? (labelled as WHLDAY)
Each of these questions has the following response options:
- Yes (coded as 1)
- No (coded as 0)
- Don't know / Refuse to answer (coded as NA)
The dataset includes derived FIES variables computed by FAO described in the documentation. It also contains demographic variables related to the number of adults and children in the household, age, education, area (urban/rural), gender, income and degree of urbanization.
Topics
| Topic |
|---|
| SDGs |
| Food Access |
Keywords
Food Insecurity Experience Scale
FIES
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG
Zero Hunger
End Hunger
SDG Indicator 2.1.2
Coverage
Geographic Coverage
National
Universe
Non-institutionalized adult population (15 years of age or older) living in households.
Producers and sponsors
Primary investigators
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | United Nations |
Sampling
Sampling Procedure
With some exceptions, all samples are probability based and nationally representative of the resident adult population. The coverage area is the entire country including rural areas, and the sampling frame represents the entire civilian, non-institutionalized, aged 15 and older population.
For more details on the overall sampling and data collection methodology, see the World poll methodology attached as a resource in the downloads tab. Specific sampling details for each country are also attached as technical documents in the downloads tab.
Exclusions: NA
Design effect: NA
For more details on the overall sampling and data collection methodology, see the World poll methodology attached as a resource in the downloads tab. Specific sampling details for each country are also attached as technical documents in the downloads tab.
Exclusions: NA
Design effect: NA
Weighting
The sample data was weighted to minimize bias in survey-based estimates. The weighting procedure was formulated based on the sample design and was carried out in multiple stages. A probability weight factor (base weight) was constructed to account for selection of telephone numbers from the respective frames and correct for unequal selection probabilities as a result of selecting one adult in landline households and for dual-users coming from both the landline and mobile frame. At the next step, the base weights were post-stratified to adjust for non-response and to match the weighted sample totals to known target population totals obtained from country level census data.
Survey instrument
Methodology notes
As part of the statistical disclosure control process, values for number of children and number of adults that were 10 or above, were recoded as "10+" and categories for area were combined into "urban/suburbs" and "towns/rural".
Data collection
Dates of Data Collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2025-07-04 | 2025-12-08 |
Time Method
Last 12 months.
Data Collection Mode
- Face-to-Face [f2f]
Data processing
Data Editing
Statistical validation assesses the quality of the FIES data collected by testing their consistency with the assumptions of the Rasch model. This analysis involves the interpretation of several statistics that reveal 1) items that do not perform well in a given context, 2) cases with highly erratic response patterns, 3) pairs of items that may be redundant, and 4) the proportion of total variance in the population that is accounted for by the measurement model.
Data appraisal
Estimates of Sampling Error
The margin of error is estimated as 3.6 percentage points. By adding and subtracting this value to the result, the confidence interval at 95% level is obtained. The margin of error was calculated assuming a reported outcome of 50% (giving the maximum sampling variability for that sample size) and takes into account the design effect.
access_policy
Confidentiality
| Is signing of a confidentiality declaration required? | Confidentiality declaration text |
|---|---|
| yes | The users shall not take any action with the purpose of identifying any individual entity (i.e. person, household, enterprise, etc.) in the micro dataset(s). If such a disclosure is made inadvertently, no use will be made of the information, and it will be reported immediately to FAO. |
Access conditions
Micro datasets disseminated by FAO shall only be allowed for research and statistical purposes. Any user which requests access working for a commercial company will not be granted access to any micro dataset regardless of their specified purpose. Users requesting access to any datasets must agree to the following minimal conditions:
- The micro dataset will only be used for statistical and/or research purposes;
- Any results derived from the micro dataset will be used solely for reporting aggregated information, and not for any specific individual entities or data subjects;
- The users shall not take any action with the purpose of identifying any individual entity (i.e. person, household, enterprise, etc.) in the micro dataset(s). If such a disclosure is made inadvertently, no use will be made of the information, and it will be reported immediately to FAO;
- The micro dataset cannot be re-disseminated by users or shared with anyone other than the individuals that are granted access to the micro dataset by FAO.
- The micro dataset will only be used for statistical and/or research purposes;
- Any results derived from the micro dataset will be used solely for reporting aggregated information, and not for any specific individual entities or data subjects;
- The users shall not take any action with the purpose of identifying any individual entity (i.e. person, household, enterprise, etc.) in the micro dataset(s). If such a disclosure is made inadvertently, no use will be made of the information, and it will be reported immediately to FAO;
- The micro dataset cannot be re-disseminated by users or shared with anyone other than the individuals that are granted access to the micro dataset by FAO.
Disclaimer and copyrights
Disclaimer
The user of the data acknowledges that the original collector of the data, the authorized distributor of the data, and the relevant funding agency bear no responsibility for use of the data or for interpretations or inferences based upon such uses.
Metadata production
DDI Document ID
DDI_BGR_2025_FIES_v01_M_v01_A_ESS_FAO
Producers
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics Division | ESS | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Metadata producer and Metadata adapted for FAM |
| Development Data Group | DECDG | World Bank Group | Metadata adapted for World Bank Microdata Library |
Metadata version
DDI Document version
Identical to a metadata (BGR_2025_FIES_v01_M_v01_A_ESS) published on FAO microdata repository (https://microdata.fao.org/index.php/catalog). Some of the metadata fields have been edited.