site.btaSupport for EU Integration in North Macedonia on the Rise, Survey Shows

The share of citizens in North Macedonia who support the country’s membership in the European Union (EU) is increasing, according to data of the Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis, published on the NGO’s website. Their survey shows that 71% of citizens support North Macedonia’s EU membership, nearly 10 percentage points more than in the 2024 survey.

Eurosceptics account for 14% of the population, according to the survey, conducted between October 22 and November 5, 2025.

Educational attainment remains the most stable positive factor behind support for North Macedonia’s EU membership, the survey analysis says. A noticeable shift in attitudes is observed among the youngest segment of the population, where support for EU membership has shown a clear upward trend over the past two years, while the oldest group (aged 55 and over) remain the most sceptical about the EU.

According to the poll, 40% of the population believe that North Macedonia is ready to become an EU member. Slightly more than 60% say progress has been made in the accession process over the past year, and respondents perceive the main reasons for the slowdown in the country’s EU accession as external rather than domestic problems.

According to 46% of respondents, the greatest obstacle to North Macedonia’s progress toward EU membership is barriers posed by neighbouring countries, while perceptions of cultural threats and other identity-related factors are key in shaping Eurosceptic attitudes.

The share of respondents who believe the country will join the EU within the next three to five years has increased, reaching 30% in 2025. Another 19% remain pessimistic about North Macedonia’s prospects for EU membership in the near term.

Economic expectations continue to be the main factor shaping support for EU membership. Expectations of an improved standard of living are the most frequently cited reason for supporting EU membership. At the same time, 60% of respondents believe that EU membership would not halt the trend of youth emigration.

Perceptions of cultural threats and other identity-related factors are key to the formation of Eurosceptic attitudes in society. The number of respondents who identify with both an ethnic and a European identity has increased and now amounts to almost one third of the population.

EU membership for North Macedonia is supported by 85% of supporters of the opposition SDSM, while among supporters of the governing VMRO-DPMNE, support for the country’s European path stands at 70%.

The survey was conducted among 1,003 respondents and is nationally representative by gender, age and ethnic affiliation, and includes respondents from all six electoral districts in the country.

This public opinion analysis on the EU accession process of North Macedonia conducted in 2025 is a continuation of the research done in the period 2014-2024. It applies the same theoretical and analytical model of the determinants of support for North Macedonia’s EU membership, and at the same time it compares its empirical findings with the findings of the previous surveys.