Poll: More than 80% of Bulgarians do not believe that democracy in Bulgaria is genuine

The poll found that 81.2% of respondents said Bulgaria does not have real democracy, while 78.2% doubted that the post-communist transition has truly ended. A further 57.6% were not convinced that the country has a functioning market economy.

The survey was conducted between 12 and 17 November 2025 among 807 adult Bulgarian citizens. The findings come as Bulgaria recently marked the 36th anniversary of the start of its democratic, market-oriented and pro-Western reforms.

According to the poll, 60.2% of Bulgarians agreed with the statement that the former communist-era State Security service still influences political processes in the country.