The invention relates to a belt bucket elevator for conveying bulk material, comprising a driven endless belt (23), which is circulated via drums arranged on a bucket elevator head and on a bucket elevator base, and comprising at least one row of buckets (10), each of which is individually fixed to the belt (23) and has a base (15), a back wall (11), lateral walls (13), and a front wall (12), said row extending in the running direction of the belt (23), characterized in that each of the buckets (10), which are arranged in close succession relative to one another, in at least one row extending in the running direction of the belt (23) has a smaller width at the base (15) than at the upper ends of the lateral walls (13), which thus extend outwards laterally and in that the arrangement of the buckets on the belt (23) is designed such that the belt (23) including the outer lateral edges of the belt, is completely covered by the buckets (10) arranged thereon.