site.btaEurobarometer Survey: Most Bulgarians Feel Optimistic About the Future

The majority of Bulgarians and EU citizens in general are optimistic about the future of their family and themselves, their country and the EU, according to the 2025 Eurobarometer Autumn Survey. It was presented by the European Parliament on Wednesday.

When asked about their outlook on the future, 53% of Bulgarian respondents and 57% of other Europeans said they were optimistic about the future of the EU. When asked about their own country, 55% of Bulgarians and 57% of other EU citizens expressed optimism. Regarding their family and themselves, 74% of Bulgarians and 76% of other Europeans are optimistic.

When it comes to the future of the world, 51% of Bulgarians are optimistic, while pessimism prevails among other EU citizens, with 52% expressing concern.

The survey found that 46% of Bulgarian respondents (62% across the rest of the EU) consider their country's EU membership to be a good thing; 35% in Bulgaria (26% in the EU) see it as neither good nor bad, and 17% (11% in the EU) regard it as a bad thing. Views on the EU itself are similar: 47% of Bulgarians (49% of other EU citizens) said the EU conjures up a positive image, 28% (34% in the EU) opted for neutral, and 24% (17% in the EU) said the EU's image is negative.

Most respondents expect their standard of living to remain unchanged in the coming years (41% in Bulgaria and 54% across the EU), while around one in three expect a decline (34% in Bulgaria and 28% in the EU). About 15% of all respondents expect an improvement.

The respondents' biggest security concerns are wars near the EU (59% of Bulgarians and 72% on average across the EU), with more than half also highlighting terrorism, cyberattacks, uncontrolled migration flows, and reliance on non-EU countries for energy supply and defence.

As to society-related concerns, respondents are worried about disinformation, fake content created by artificial intelligence, hate speech, societal polarization, the protection of personal data online, and threats to freedom of speech.

More than half of Bulgarians (54%) and other respondents (66%) expect the EU to play a greater role in crises and security threats. According to 80% of Bulgarians (89% across the rest of the EU), EU Member States should be more united. A similar share believe the EU should have a stronger voice at the international level.