Survey: 20-30% of Bulgarians want access to culture but cannot afford it

Between 20 and 30% of Bulgarians want to have access to culture but cannot afford it. This is the result of a national survey conducted by the Alpha Research sociological agency on behalf of the Ideas Factory and the Observatory of Cultural Economics projects.

In 2023, 72.6% of Bulgarians have not once visited a library, 62.6% have not been to the theatre, 82.5% have not been to a classical music, opera or ballet concert. The analysis shows that the 18-29 age group lacks habits developed in early childhood, the 55+ group has enough free time but not the financial means to attend cultural activities, while smaller towns and villages often lack access to such events. The Ideas Factory will insist that the results of the research are taken into account and incorporated into a national strategy for access to culture, which will form part of a wider strategy for the place of culture in the development of Bulgarian society.