site.btaBulgarian Youth Last in Balkans for Use of Spare Time for Self-improvement

Sofia, July 11 (BTA) - Bulgarian youth are first in the Balkans for the use of their spare time for leisure and last in the region for its use for self-improvement, show the results of a large-scale social survey conducted by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in all former socialist or close to socialism countries in the Balkans in the first half of 2018. In Bulgaria, the face-to-face survey was conducted by Gallup International among 1,016 persons aged between 14 and 29.

According to the results, 83 per cent of Bulgarians in this age group use their spare time for leisure, 44 per cent for socialising, 36 per cent for doing sports, and only 5 per cent for self-improvement (this was a multiple-choice question in the survey).

Macedonia too tops the list for the share of young people using their free time for leisure (83 per cent), but also for socialising (54 per cent) and for personal development (17 per cent). The highest percentage of youth devoting their spare time to sports was recorded in Slovenia (57 per cent), followed by Montenegro (49 per cent) and Serbia (47 per cent).

Balkan youth spend a significant part of their free time in using the Internet: 86 per cent use it to access social networks, 84 per cent to communicate with friends and family, and 56 per cent to study or work. Other popular activities on the Internet include downloading and listening to music, sharing photos and videos, and watching films. In Bulgaria, the percentages are similar to those for the region, except for the lower share of young people using the Internet for studying or working (46 per cent).