According to a survey by the National Center for Parliamentary Studies (NCPI), a unit of the Bulgarian National Assembly, approximately 60% of Bulgarians oppose the adoption of the euro. This extensive study, covering a variety of topics, was conducted on May 1-16 among 1,000 Bulgarian citizens and was representative of the adult population. The findings were published on the parliament’s website on June 25.
When asked if Bulgaria should adopt the euro, 27.1% of respondents said “Yes”, 60.1% said “No” and 12.8% were undecided. Compared to last year, euro skepticism has increased. In June 2023, 56.5% opposed the euro, while 26.7% supported it, with 16.8% unable to judge.
The survey from May offers a detailed analysis, revealing that support for the euro is the highest in Sofia, though still less than opposition, with 36% in favor and 46.3% against. In rural areas, only 19.7% support adopting the euro, while 69.6% are against it.
Ethnically, 28.7% of Bulgaria-identifying citizens support the euro, compared to 20.3% of Turks. The Roma are the most skeptical, with 11.4% in favor and 71.2% against.
The survey may contain inaccuracies, as it reports that 100% of wealthy Bulgarians are against the euro, which seems illogical given other responses. Additionally, support for the euro decreases with economic deprivation: 39.7% of those without deprivation support the euro, compared to 27.4% with some deprivation and 11.3% with severe deprivation. Among those living in poverty, 94.7% do not support the euro and 5.3% are undecided. The poorest showed no support for the euro.
Education also influences support, with more educated individuals favoring the eurozone entry more than the less educated, which is not surprising.
A Eurobarometer study from April last year presented different results, showing Bulgarians evenly split at 49% for and 49% against the euro. This discrepancy raises questions about the quality and reliability of sociological research. (Novinite)