67% of Bulgarian men under 35 are single

In Bulgaria, the male population represents the largest share of people living with their parents, warns Stefan Stanev, a mentor at an academy for single men, in an interview for the podcast "YouTube:Special".

The discussion focuses on the self-isolation of some young men in the country, the lack of close friends, difficulties in communicating with women, as well as popular dating platforms that serve as an escape from reality and lead to a loss of social skills. According to Stefan Stanev, statistics show that 67% of men aged 25 to 35 are single, and 35% of them have not been on a date in the past year. The trend is global, but in Bulgaria the situation is more severe due to the high percentage of young men living with their parents. The expert emphasizes that only 35% of women in the same age group are in this situation. He further adds that in 2005, only 3% of men reported having no close friends, while today this figure has risen to 18%.

Stefan Stanev explains that men prefer the comfort of home over socialization, which leads to a lack of friends and hobbies. They focus on work and fitness but avoid in-person interactions.

"It is very difficult for them to make friends because they prefer to stay at home, in front of the computer, rather than go out, face their fears, the anxiety in their bodies, the past traumas and the other voices in their heads, and develop communication skills", Stefan Stanev notes.

Edited by Tsvetana Toncheva

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov