site.btaThis Year Most Satisfactory for Bulgarians Aged up to 40, Well Educated, Wealthy People

Sofia, December 19 (BTA) - This year was the most satisfactory for young Bulgarians aged up to 40, well educated and wealthy people, as well as those living in big cities, while for Bulgarians aged over 60, badly educated and poor people 2017 was a bad year, show data from a nationally representative survey of Exacta Research Group conducted among 1,000 adult Bulgarians between December 7 and 13.

Forty-six per cent of respondents describe 2017 as neither good nor bad in terms of life satisfaction, with most of these people being women, Bulgarians aged over 40, poor people and such living in villages. The respondents for whom the year was good are 37 per cent, while those for whom it was bad are 15 per cent.

Life satisfaction at the end of the year is dependent to a large extent on people's financial self-esteem, the sociologists comment. Seventy per cent of respondents who managed to save money this year describe 2017 as good, while only 11 per cent of those who spent all their savings and borrowed money describe the year in the same way. Seventy-two per cent expect 2018 to be better than the previous year, with young and well educated Bulgarians being the most optimistic.

Unlike with life satisfaction, where optimistic expectations prevail over pessimistic ones, the share of optimists is the same as that of pessimists on the topic of the country's state this year (24.8 per cent compared to 24.2 per cent, respectively). Forty-two per cent of respondents describe 2017 as neither good nor bad for Bulgaria.

Sixty-one per cent of respondents have rather optimistic expectations of Bulgaria's future in 2018. A total of 17 per cent believe next year will not be better than 2017, with most of these people thinking that 2018 will be just as bad as this year or even worse.

One-fifth of respondents are convinced that 2017 was good both for them personally and for Bulgaria, while 10 per cent consider this year bad both for them and the country. Fifty-nine per cent expect next year to be better in both respects.

Out of all respondents, 14 per cent managed to save money this year (mostly men, young people under 30 years of age, well educated and wealthy people, and residents of big cities), 57 per cent spent all their earnings (mostly Bulgarians aged 30 to 40, and over 60), and one in five respondents spent their earnings as well as part of their savings (mostly people aged over 60, well educated people, and residents of Sofia). Two-thirds of Bulgarians who describe their standard as close to the average for the country, fall in the group of people who spent all their earnings this year.

Ten per cent claim they spent all their resources both from this year and before that, and have even borrowed money. This is more frequently the case of people aged 40 to 60, badly educated and poor Bulgarians or such living in villages. Women more frequently fall in this category than men.

Charity is increasingly popular among Bulgarians. The number of those ready to help people in need in some way has increased considerably (by 16 per cent), while those who do not want to take part in Christmas and New Year charity campaigns have declined by 10 per cent.

Half of the interviewees intend to set aside funds for charity during the forthcoming holidays, 29 per cent said they could not take part in such campaigns because of financial problems, 5 per cent do not want to take part in any form of charity and 16 per cent still have not decided how to act, obviously expecting to be motivated appropriately.

According to the survey, 89 per cent of Bulgarians will spend Christmas at home. Two per cent plan to go to a restaurant and other 2 per cent, to return to their original homes. Only 1 per cent will go abroad for Christmas. One per cent will go skiing and 1 per cent will work.

There will be higher mobility for New Year's Eve. Seventy-four per cent will celebrate at home, 8 per cent at restaurants and clubs, 2 per cent will be in the squares and another two will return to their birthplaces. Two per cent will work on New Year and 1.3 per cent will go skiing.

Inspite of the highly critical attitude to the work of politicians and institutions in Bulgaria, the survey registered that slightly over 60 per cent of the respondents are ready to send good wishes to individual politicians on the eve of the New Year.

Good wishes are sent to 90 Bulgarian politicians, including heads of state institutions, MPs, ministers, mayors and public figures. At the same time most of the names were cited by small shares of interviewees - one or two people. Most best wishes were sent to Prime Minister Boyko Borissov (27 per cent), President Roumen Radev (25 per cent), Ombudsman Maya Manolova (14 per cent), Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Kornelia Ninova (11 per cent), Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov (7 per cent), Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova (6 per cent), Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev (5 per cent), and Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov (4 per cent).

The people who do not want to send good wishes to any Bulgarian politician stand at 29 per cent.