A sociological survey on “Public Opinion on Cultural Life, the Status of Artists and Cultural Reform” conducted in 1997 found that an insignificant proportion of Bulgaria’s population (from 0.3% to 6% depending on the particular art form) participate in the traditional forms of cultural life several times a month. If we add the proportion of those who attend an art event once every few months, we will get a relatively stable group of about 10% to 15% of the population with comparatively active rates of participation in cultural life. Those who never go to the cinema, theatre, opera, concert or art exhibition comprise between 70% and 88% (depending on the particular art form) of the population. The majority (56% of the population) own 100 to 500 books, 6% to 7% are active book collectors, and 74% could not quote the name of the author or title of the last book they bought.
During the last 10 years, the number of young readers in Bulgaria increased by 15%, according to analysis of reading habits carried out in November 2004 by the sociological agency “ASSA-M” and commissioned by the Association “Bulgarian Books” and the National Book Centre under the Ministry of Culture. This study also indicated that 41% of the public do not read and had not purchased a book in the previous three months. Of the reading public, only 41% purchased books from bookshops and the remainder had received their books from friends.
In February 2005 the National Centre for Research on Public Opinion carried out a study on “Cultural attitudes and consumption of cultural products in Bulgaria”. The study is representative at national level and it was carried out by the method of semi-standardised interviews. This is the first integral analysis for 15 years which is devoted to national cultural preferences and values, to the frequency, motivation and restraints in the demand for cultural products and services, as well as the role of education in this process. The study demonstrated that the main national leisure pursuit is watching TV – 57.4% of those interviewed. The next preferences are book reading (8%), listening to music (6%), and in this respect young people under 30 years of age are the leading group. Only 1.4% of the population visits the theatre, movies, opera, ballet, or exhibitions on a regular basis.
At the same time, 10.4% expressed an interest in visiting the theatre, concerts, opera, ballet and exhibitions – i.e. the difference between the real and the potential audience is 1:10. The main reasons given by interviewees for not pursuing leisure activities of personal interest to them were financial restrictions – 42%, lack of free time – 16%, and tiredness at the end of the day – 14%. However, when interviewees were asked for the reasons for not attending cultural events, the financial restraints are rated only in third place (14%) i.e. the price of the tickets is not the most important barrier. The reluctance to visit arts events is formed at an earlier stage and is defined by arguments such as “people from my social environment don’t visit these places” – 32%, followed by “I feel unprepared for this type of cultural entertainment” – 17%. Therefore, the leading factor in low participation rates is more related to socio-cultural factors, such as family, friends, and the environment.
The role of education at a young age is a determining factor for development of the future consumer-connoisseur. When analysing the data from this study, the researcher Biljana Tomova draws the following conclusion: “The observed reduction in demand for cultural products and services over a period longer than a decade and the more and more restricted access of households to various forms of cultural entertainment is nowadays moving on to a completely new stage – one generation is lost for Bulgarian culture.”
There are no surveys monitoring the participation of national minority groups or immigrant groups in cultural life.
Cultural participation in its traditional forms is obviously declining. There are two main reasons for this: economic hardship and a massive swing towards newer and more individualised forms of dissemination of culture: TV, video, cable, satellite. This distinct trend is associated with substantial changes not only in the frequency, but also in the forms, standards, and criteria of cultural participation.
In 2008, the National Statistical Institute carried out empirical research on “Participation of the population aged 25 – 64 in cultural activities and events” with EUROSTAT methodology. The results were published in 2009 and can be viewed in the tables below.
The empirical research encompasses frequenting of live performances, screenings, cultural landmarks, taking pictures, production of film and video recordings, creation of black and white drawings, sculptures and printing, composing poems, prose and short stories, taking part in creation of theater plays, number of book read and number of book owned by a single household, number of newspapers read, attending amateur companies, practicing different hobbies, membership in associations, specific clubs.
The analysis finds out that of all cultural activities that were monitored reading newspapers is the predominant activity for 89% оf the respondents, as 44.7% оf them practice is daily or in two days time. Reading books is the second cultural activity most preferred for 52% of the Bulgarian respondents, as more than the half of them have read up to 6 books lifetime. 39.9% of the respondents prefer to attend to live performances, as the greatest number of visits amount to 3 visits per year. Next come visits to cultural landmarks chosen by 29.7% of the respondents, followed by attending cinema screenings – 19.1% and taking pictures, production of film and video recordings. The cultural activates which are most popular with the population are the participations in public performances – 3.5%, creation of black and white drawings, sculptures and printing – 3.1%, composing poems, prose and short stories – 1.1%. Briefly – all these activities that require personal commitment. The finding is that the respondents prefer to be consumers of cultural activities but not to be their authors even when the point is the amateur art.
Table 16: Attendance at live performances, by age, gender, education, labour status and residence, 2007
| Total | 1-3 times in the last 12 months | 4-6 times in the last 12 months | 7-12 times in the last 12 months | More than 12 times in the last 12 months | No visits in the last 12 months | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Sex | Total | 4 295 030 | 1 195 052 | 27.8 | 337 263 | 7.9 | 109 261 | 2.5 | 70 001 | 1.6 | 2 583 453 | 60.1 |
| Male | 2 120 002 | 552 873 | 26.1 | 121 127 | 5.7 | 42 212 | 2.0 | 22 283 | 1.1 | 1 381 507 | 65.2 | |
| Female | 2 175 027 | 642 178 | 29.5 | 216 136 | 9.9 | 67 049 | 3.1 | 47 718 | 2.2 | 1 201 946 | 55.3 | |
| Age | 25-34 | 1 141 616 | 366 515 | 32.1 | 120 501 | 10.6 | 39 886 | 3.5 | 23 247 | 2.0 | 591 466 | 51.8 |
| 35-54 | 2 127 408 | 594 599 | 27.9 | 153 512 | 7.2 | 51 209 | 2.4 | 31 099 | 1.5 | 1 296 990 | 61.0 | |
| 55-64 | 1 026 006 | 233 938 | 22.8 | 63 250 | 6.2 | 18 166 | 1.8 | 15 655 | 1.5 | 694 997 | 67.7 | |
| Educational attainment | Basic education or below | 1 039 266 | 177 358 | 17.1 | 12 963 | 1.2 | 3 244 | 0.3 | 1 610 | 0.2 | 844 090 | 81.2 |
| Upper secondary education | 2 284 298 | 636 681 | 27.9 | 158 142 | 6.9 | 41 150 | 1.8 | 23 655 | 1.0 | 1 424 670 | 62.4 | |
| Tertiary education | 971 466 | 381 013 | 39.2 | 166 159 | 17.1 | 64 866 | 6.7 | 44 735 | 4.6 | 314 693 | 32.4 | |
| Labour status | Employed | 2 929 552 | 914 209 | 31.2 | 279 354 | 9.5 | 93 978 | 3.2 | 56 894 | 1.9 | 1 585 117 | 54.1 |
| Unemployed | 604 843 | 117 121 | 19.4 | 23 726 | 3.9 | 4 798 | 0.8 | 4 891 | 0.8 | 454 307 | 75.1 | |
| Inactive | 760 635 | 163 722 | 21.5 | 34 183 | 4.5 | 10 485 | 1.4 | 8 215 | 1.1 | 544 030 | 71.5 | |
| Residence | Urban | 3 172 067 | 955 272 | 30.1 | 308 478 | 9.7 | 99 349 | 3.1 | 61 418 | 1.9 | 1 747 551 | 55.1 |
| Rural | 1 122 962 | 239 780 | 21.4 | 28 786 | 2.6 | 9 912 | 0.9 | 8 583 | 0.8 | 835 902 | 74.4 | |
1According to the opinion of the interviewees, not by ILO definitions, so people, who do not have a job and do not search for one are self-assessed as unemployed, not as inactive.
Table 17: Visits to the cinema, by age, gender, education, labour status and residence, 2007
| Total | 1-3 times in the last 12 months | 4-6 times in the last 12 months | 7-12 times in the last 12 months | More than 12 times in the last 12 months | No visits in the last 12 months | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Sex | Total | 4 295 030 | 469 844 | 10.9 | 165 225 | 3.8 | 78 069 | 1.8 | 66 377 | 1.5 | 3 515 514 | 81.9 |
| Male | 2 120 002 | 219 811 | 10.4 | 88 284 | 4.2 | 38 286 | 1.8 | 33 163 | 1.6 | 1 740 459 | 82.1 | |
| Female | 2 175 027 | 250 034 | 11.5 | 76 941 | 3.5 | 39 784 | 1.8 | 33 214 | 1.5 | 1 775 055 | 81.6 | |
| Age | 25-34 | 1 141 616 | 193 414 | 16.9 | 89 313 | 7.8 | 45 476 | 4.0 | 46 569 | 4.1 | 766 844 | 67.2 |
| 35-54 | 2 127 408 | 221 236 | 10.4 | 62 770 | 3.0 | 25 079 | 1.2 | 18 549 | 0.9 | 1 799 775 | 84.6 | |
| 55-64 | 1 026 006 | 55 195 | 5.4 | 13 142 | 1.3 | 7 515 | 0.7 | 1 258 | 0.1 | 948 895 | 92.5 | |
| Educational attainment | Basic education or below | 1 039 266 | 31 638 | 3.0 | 1 508 | 0.1 | 2 551 | 0.2 | – | – | 1 003 569 | 96.6 |
| Upper secondary education | 2 284 298 | 246 561 | 10.8 | 78 621 | 3.4 | 30 521 | 1.3 | 27 653 | 1.2 | 1 900 942 | 83.2 | |
| Tertiary education | 971 466 | 191 645 | 19.7 | 85 097 | 8.8 | 44 998 | 4.6 | 38 723 | 4.0 | 611 003 | 62.9 | |
| Labour status | 2 929 552 | 380 804 | 13.0 | 136 568 | 4.7 | 66 452 | 2.3 | 47 629 | 1.6 | 2 298 099 | 78.4 | |
| Unemployed | 604 843 | 38 069 | 6.3 | 5 646 | 0.9 | 5 378 | 0.9 | 8 146 | 1.3 | 547 605 | 90.5 | |
| Inactive | 760 635 | 50 972 | 6.7 | 23 012 | 3.0 | 6 239 | 0.8 | 10 602 | 1.4 | 669 811 | 88.1 | |
| Residence | Urban | 3 172 067 | 413 714 | 13.0 | 153 726 | 4.8 | 73 815 | 2.3 | 64 534 | 2.0 | 2 466 278 | 77.7 |
| Rural | 1 122 962 | 56 130 | 5.0 | 11 499 | 1.0 | 4 254 | 0.4 | 1 843 | 0.2 | 1 049 235 | 93.4 | |
1According to the opinion of the interviewees, not by ILO definitions, so people, who do not have a job and do not search for one are self-assessed as unemployed, not as inactive.
Table 18: Visits to cultural sites, by age, gender, education, labour status and residence, 2007
| Total | 1-3 times in the last 12 months | 4-6 times in the last 12 months | 7-12 times in the last 12 months | More than 12 times in the last 12 months | No visits in the last 12 months | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Sex | Total | 4 295 030 | 947 486 | 22.1 | 207 809 | 4.8 | 64 058 | 1.5 | 57 842 | 1.3 | 3 017 835 | 70.3 |
| Male | 2 120 002 | 427 668 | 20.2 | 88 227 | 4.2 | 23 856 | 1.1 | 24 232 | 1.1 | 1 556 019 | 73.4 | |
| Female | 2 175 027 | 519 818 | 23.9 | 119 582 | 5.5 | 40 202 | 1.8 | 33 609 | 1.5 | 1 461 816 | 67.2 | |
| Age | 25-34 | 1 141 616 | 282 475 | 24.7 | 67 079 | 5.9 | 19 708 | 1.7 | 20 527 | 1.8 | 751 826 | 65.9 |
| 35-54 | 2 127 408 | 465 610 | 21.9 | 109 081 | 5.1 | 34 111 | 1.6 | 28 450 | 1.3 | 1 490 156 | 70.0 | |
| 55-64 | 1 026 006 | 199 401 | 19.4 | 31 649 | 3.1 | 10 238 | 1.0 | 8 865 | 0.9 | 775 853 | 75.6 | |
| Educational attainment | Basic education or below | 1 039 266 | 75 759 | 7.3 | 2 375 | 0.2 | – | – | 2 733 | 0.3 | 958 399 | 92.2 |
| Upper secondary education | 2 284 298 | 510 358 | 22.3 | 88 304 | 3.9 | 16 952 | 0.7 | 18 787 | 0.8 | 1 649 897 | 72.2 | |
| Tertiary education | 971 466 | 361 369 | 37.2 | 117 130 | 12.1 | 47 106 | 4.8 | 36 322 | 3.7 | 409 539 | 42.2 | |
| Labour status | Employed | 2 929 552 | 736 859 | 25.2 | 176 445 | 6.0 | 54 469 | 1.9 | 50 720 | 1.7 | 1 911 059 | 65.2 |
| Unemployed | 604 843 | 66 697 | 11.0 | 10 323 | 1.7 | 5 213 | 0.9 | 1 385 | 0.2 | 521 224 | 86.2 | |
| Inactive | 760 635 | 143 930 | 18.9 | 21 041 | 2.8 | 4 376 | 0.6 | 5 736 | 0.8 | 585 552 | 77.0 | |
| Residence | Urban | 3 172 067 | 777 338 | 24.5 | 188 422 | 5.9 | 61 188 | 1.9 | 53 027 | 1.7 | 2 092 092 | 66.0 |
| Rural | 1 122 962 | 170 149 | 15.2 | 19 387 | 1.7 | 2 869 | 0.3 | 4 814 | 0.4 | 925 743 | 82.4 | |
1According to the opinion of the interviewees, not by ILO definitions, so people, who do not have a job and do not search for one are self-assessed as unemployed, not as inactive.
Table 19: Artists taking photographs, making movies, recording videotapes, by age, gender, education, labour status and residence, 2007
| Total | Taking photographs, making movies or recording of videotapes in the last 12 months – Yes | Taking photographs, making movies or recording in the last 12 months of videotapes – No | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Sex | Total | 4 295 030 | 817 393 | 19.0 | 3 477 636 | 81.0 |
| Male | 2 120 002 | 465 354 | 22.0 | 1 654 648 | 78.0 | |
| Female | 2 175 027 | 352 039 | 16.2 | 1 822 988 | 83.8 | |
| Age | 25-34 | 1 141 616 | 345 113 | 30.2 | 796 502 | 69.8 |
| 35-54 | 2 127 408 | 388 528 | 18.3 | 1 738 881 | 81.7 | |
| 55-64 | 1 026 006 | 83 753 | 8.2 | 942 253 | 91.8 | |
| Educational attainment | Basic education or below | 1 039 266 | 38 031 | 3.7 | 1 001 234 | 96.3 |
| Upper secondary education | 2 284 298 | 412 668 | 18.1 | 1 871 630 | 81.9 | |
| Tertiary education | 971 466 | 366 694 | 37.7 | 604 772 | 62.3 | |
| Labour status | Employed | 2 929 552 | 703 341 | 24.0 | 2 226 211 | 76.0 |
| Unemployed | 604 843 | 40 028 | 6.6 | 564 815 | 93.4 | |
| Inactive | 760 635 | 74 024 | 9.7 | 686 611 | 90.3 | |
| Residence | Urban | 3 172 067 | 730 747 | 23.0 | 2 441 320 | 77.0 |
| Rural | 1 122 962 | 86 646 | 7.7 | 1 036 316 | 92.3 | |
Table 20: Visual artists – painting, drawing, sculpture or print-making aged 25-64, by age, gender, education, labour status and residence, 2007
| Total | Painting, drawing, sculpture or printing in the last 12 months – Yes | Painting, drawing, sculpture or printing in the last 12 months of videotapes – No | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Sex | Total | 4 295 030 | 134 845 | 3.1 | 4 160 184 | 96.9 |
| Male | 2 120 002 | 50 826 | 2.4 | 2 069 176 | 97.6 | |
| Female | 2 175 027 | 84 019 | 3.9 | 2 091 008 | 96.1 | |
| Age | 25-34 | 1 141 616 | 59 696 | 5.2 | 1 081 919 | 94.8 |
| 35-54 | 2 127 408 | 58 826 | 2.8 | 2 068 582 | 97.2 | |
| 55-64 | 1 026 006 | 16 322 | 1.6 | 1 009 683 | 98.4 | |
| Educational attainment | Basic education or below | 1 039 266 | 2 412 | 0.2 | 1 036 854 | 99.8 |
| Upper secondary education | 2 284 298 | 45 376 | 2.0 | 2 238 922 | 98.0 | |
| Tertiary education | 971 466 | 87 057 | 9.0 | 884 408 | 91.0 | |
| Labour status | Employed | 2 929 552 | 117 821 | 4.0 | 2 811 731 | 96.0 |
| Unemployed | 604 843 | 866 | 0.1 | 603 977 | 99.9 | |
| Inactive | 760 635 | 16 159 | 2.1 | 744 476 | 97.9 | |
| Residence | Urban | 3 172 067 | 119 926 | 3.8 | 3 052 141 | 96.2 |
| Rural | 1 122 962 | 14 919 | 1.3 | 1 108 043 | 98.7 | |
Table 21: Writers of prose, poems, short stories aged 25-64, by age, gender, education, labour status and residence, 2007
| Total | Writing prose, poems, short stories in the last 12 months – Yes | Writing prose, poems, short stories in the last 12 months – No | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Sex | Total | 4 295 030 | 48 216 | 1.1 | 4 246 813 | 98.9 |
| Male | 2 120 002 | 16 684 | 0.8 | 2 103 319 | 99.2 | |
| Female | 2 175 027 | 31 533 | 1.4 | 2 143 494 | 98.6 | |
| Age | 25-34 | 1 141 616 | 15 755 | 1.4 | 1 125 860 | 98.6 |
| 35-54 | 2 127 408 | 20 337 | 1.0 | 2 107 072 | 99.0 | |
| 55-64 | 1 026 006 | 12 125 | 1.2 | 1 013 881 | 98.8 | |
| Educational attainment | Basic education or below | 1 039 266 | 1 440 | 0.1 | 1 037 826 | 99.9 |
| Upper secondary education | 2 284 298 | 16 056 | 0.7 | 2 268 242 | 99.3 | |
| Tertiary education | 971 466 | 30 720 | 3.2 | 940 746 | 96.8 | |
| Labour status | Employed | 2 929 552 | 39 792 | 1.4 | 2 889 760 | 98.6 |
| Unemployed | 604 843 | 3 803 | 0.6 | 601 040 | 99.4 | |
| Inactive | 760 635 | 4 621 | 0.6 | 756 013 | 99.4 | |
| Residence | Urban | 3 172 067 | 40 948 | 1.3 | 3 131 119 | 98.7 |
| Rural | 1 122 962 | 7 268 | 0.6 | 1 115 694 | 99.4 | |
Table 22: Persons who participated in public performances, by gender, age, education, labour status and residence, 2007
| Total | Personal participation in public performances in the last 12 months – Yes | Personal participation in public performances in the last 12 months – No | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Sex | Total | 4 295 030 | 150 752 | 3.5 | 4 144 278 | 96.5 |
| Male | 2 120 002 | 58 553 | 2.8 | 2 061 450 | 97.2 | |
| Female | 2 175 027 | 92 199 | 4.2 | 2 082 828 | 95.8 | |
| Age | 25-34 | 1 141 616 | 42 441 | 3.7 | 1 099 175 | 96.3 |
| 35-54 | 2 127 408 | 69 330 | 3.3 | 2 058 078 | 96.7 | |
| 55-64 | 1 026 006 | 38 982 | 3.8 | 987 024 | 96.2 | |
| Educational attainment | Basic education or below | 1 039 266 | 39 656 | 3.8 | 999 610 | 96.2 |
| Upper secondary education | 2 284 298 | 52 352 | 2.3 | 2 231 947 | 97.7 | |
| Tertiary education | 971 466 | 58 745 | 6.0 | 912 721 | 94.0 | |
| Labour status | Employed | 2 929 552 | 102 288 | 3.5 | 2 827 264 | 96.5 |
| Unemployed | 604 843 | 25 735 | 4.3 | 579 108 | 95.7 | |
| Inactive | 760 635 | 22 729 | 3.0 | 737 906 | 97.0 | |
| Residence | Urban | 3 172 067 | 115 304 | 3.6 | 3 056 764 | 96.4 |
| Rural | 1 122 962 | 35 448 | 3.2 | 1 087 514 | 96.8 | |
Table 23: Population according to number of books at home, by gender, age, education, labour status and residence, 2007
| Total | 0-25 books | 26-100 books | More than 100 books | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Sex | Total | 4 295 030 | 1 409 048 | 32.8 | 1 395 833 | 32.5 | 1 490 148 | 34.7 |
| Male | 2 120 002 | 744 861 | 35.1 | 696 330 | 32.8 | 678 811 | 32.0 | |
| Female | 2 175 027 | 664 187 | 30.5 | 699 503 | 32.2 | 811 337 | 37.3 | |
| Age | 25-34 | 1 141 616 | 432 798 | 37.9 | 352 671 | 30.9 | 356 147 | 31.2 |
| 35-54 | 2 127 408 | 657 543 | 30.9 | 705 811 | 33.2 | 764 055 | 35.9 | |
| 55-64 | 1 026 006 | 318 708 | 31.1 | 337 351 | 32.9 | 369 946 | 36.1 | |
| Educational attainment | Basic education or below | 1 039 266 | 818 665 | 78.8 | 183 763 | 17.7 | 36 838 | 3.5 |
| Upper secondary education | 2 284 298 | 547 717 | 24.0 | 988 092 | 43.3 | 748 489 | 32.8 | |
| Tertiary education | 971 466 | 42 667 | 4.4 | 223 978 | 23.1 | 704 822 | 72.6 | |
| Labour status | Employed | 2 929 552 | 749 483 | 25.6 | 1 010 196 | 34.5 | 1 169 873 | 39.9 |
| Unemployed | 604 843 | 365 712 | 60.5 | 145 454 | 24.0 | 93 677 | 15.5 | |
| Inactive | 760 635 | 293 853 | 38.6 | 240 183 | 31.6 | 226 599 | 29.8 | |
| Residence | Urban | 3 172 067 | 774 433 | 24.4 | 1 080 659 | 34.1 | 1 316 975 | 41.5 |
| Rural | 1 122 962 | 634 615 | 56.5 | 315 174 | 28.1 | 173 173 | 15.4 | |
Table 24: Population reading newspapers, by gender, age, education, labour status and residence, 2007
| Total | Every day or almost every day | At least once a week (but not every day) | At least once a month (but not every week) | Less than once a month | Don’t read newspapers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Sex | Total | 4 295 030 | 1 921 639 | 44.7 | 1 558 266 | 36.3 | 217 646 | 5.1 | 124 835 | 2.9 | 472 644 | 11.0 |
| Male | 2 120 002 | 1 056 527 | 49.8 | 714 495 | 33.7 | 98 126 | 4.6 | 54 805 | 2.6 | 196 048 | 9.2 | |
| Female | 2 175 027 | 865 111 | 39.8 | 843 771 | 38.8 | 119 519 | 5.5 | 70 029 | 3.2 | 276 596 | 12.7 | |
| Age | 25-34 | 1 141 616 | 484 887 | 42.5 | 413 347 | 36.2 | 60 569 | 5.3 | 34 599 | 3.0 | 148 213 | 13.0 |
| 35-54 | 2 127 408 | 989 655 | 46.5 | 744 911 | 35.0 | 104 723 | 4.9 | 61 608 | 2.9 | 226 511 | 10.6 | |
| 55-64 | 1 026 006 | 447 096 | 43.6 | 400 008 | 39.0 | 52 354 | 5.1 | 28 628 | 2.8 | 97 920 | 9.5 | |
| Educational attainment | Basic education or below | 1 039 266 | 138 428 | 13.3 | 373 982 | 36.0 | 108 204 | 10.4 | 67 548 | 6.5 | 351 103 | 33.8 |
| Upper secondary education | 2 284 298 | 1 152 379 | 50.4 | 904 101 | 39.6 | 90 227 | 3.9 | 44 996 | 2.0 | 92 596 | 4.1 | |
| Tertiary education | 971 466 | 630 832 | 64.9 | 280 183 | 28.8 | 19 215 | 2.0 | 12 291 | 1.3 | 28 946 | 3.0 | |
| Labour status | Employed | 2 929 552 | 1 552 290 | 53.0 | 1 011 943 | 34.5 | 119 624 | 4.1 | 70 065 | 2.4 | 175 629 | 6.0 |
| Unemployed | 604 843 | 118 366 | 19.6 | 230 491 | 38.1 | 50 584 | 8.4 | 25 500 | 4.2 | 179 901 | 29.7 | |
| Inactive | 760 635 | 250 982 | 33.0 | 315 832 | 41.5 | 47 437 | 6.2 | 29 270 | 3.8 | 117 115 | 15.4 | |
| Residence | Urban | 3 172 067 | 1 545 310 | 48.7 | 1 132 791 | 35.7 | 140 636 | 4.4 | 74 051 | 2.3 | 279 279 | 8.8 |
| Rural | 1 122 962 | 376 328 | 33.5 | 425 475 | 37.9 | 77 010 | 6.9 | 50 783 | 4.5 | 193 366 | 17.2 | |
Table 25: Population participating in activities of amateur collectives, associations, clubs of interest, aged 25-64 by gender, age, education, labour status and residence, 2007
| Total | Participated in the last 12 months | Not participated in the last 12 months | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Sex | Total | 4 295 030 | 264 420 | 6.2 | 4 030 610 | 93.8 |
| Male | 2 120 002 | 132 895 | 6.3 | 1 987 107 | 93.7 | |
| Female | 2 175 027 | 131 525 | 6.0 | 2 043 503 | 94.0 | |
| Age | 25-34 | 1 141 616 | 84 712 | 7.4 | 1 056 903 | 92.6 |
| 35-54 | 2 127 408 | 119 332 | 5.6 | 2 008 076 | 94.4 | |
| 55-64 | 1 026 006 | 60 375 | 5.9 | 965 631 | 94.1 | |
| Educational attainment | Basic education or below | 1 039 266 | 22 164 | 2.1 | 1 017 101 | 97.9 |
| Upper secondary education | 2 284 298 | 127 727 | 5.6 | 2 156 571 | 94.4 | |
| Tertiary education | 971 466 | 114 528 | 11.8 | 856 938 | 88.2 | |
| Labour status | Employed | 2 929 552 | 206 053 | 7.0 | 2 723 499 | 93.0 |
| Unemployed | 604 843 | 16 317 | 2.7 | 588 526 | 97.3 | |
| Inactive | 760 635 | 42 049 | 5.5 | 718 586 | 94.5 | |
| Residence | Urban | 3 172 067 | 201 180 | 6.3 | 2 970 888 | 93.7 |
| Rural | 1 122 962 | 63 240 | 5.6 | 1 059 722 | 94.4 | |
Source: National Statistical Institute, 2009 http://www.nsi.bg/
Table 26: Number of theatres, seats and shows, 1998 – 2009
| Field / Year | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of theatres | 80 | 81 | 75 | n.a. | n.a. | 75 | 78 | 78 | 80 |
| Seats | 29 904 | 30 500 | 30 277 | n.a. | n.a. | 30 105 | 29 977 | 28 386 | 29 904 |
| Shows | 11 038 | 12 500 | 10 465 | n.a. | n.a. | 10 776 | 10 951 | 10 880 | 11 038 |
| Visits to theatres | 1 611 000 | 1 600 000 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | 1 475 323 | 1 636 000 | 1 679 000 | 1 611 000 |
Table 27: Number of cinemas, screenings, visits and ticket sales, 1998-2009
| Field / Year | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2003 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of cinemas | 205 | 191 | 179 | 149 | 66 | 62 | 57 | 56 |
| – in towns | 183 | 168 | 158 | 130 | 59 | 54 | 50 | 54 |
| – in villages | 22 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 2 |
| Number of screenings | 100 074 | 84 314 | 103 876 | 136 422 | 157 247 | 140 182 | 159 765 | 173 140 |
| – in towns | 99 633 | 84 080 | 103 488 | 136 145 | 157 154 | 139 971 | 159 544 | 172 120 |
| – in villages | 441 | 234 | 388 | 277 | 93 | 211 | 221 | 1020 |
| Visits | 3 204 000 | 1 923 000 | 1 860 484 | 3 530 595 | 2 580 000 | 2 631 000 | 2 429 000 | 3 041 000 |
| – in towns | 3 189 000 | 1 909 000 | n.a. | 3 508 000 | 2 578 000 | 2 627 000 | 2 427 000 | 3 029 000 |
| – in villages | 15 000 | 14 000 | n.a | 2 595 | 2 000 | 4 000 | 2 000 | 12 000 |
| Ticket sales (million BGL) | 10 730.0 | 8 000 | 7 327 | 13 680 | 9 312 | n.a. | 13 454 | 22 852 |
Table 28: Number of libraries and Chitalishte, 1998-2009
| Field / Year | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2002 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of libraries | 7 483 | 7 283 | 7 091 | 49** | 50** | 4 552*** | 48** | 49** | 47*** | 47*** |
| – Library stock (‘000 items) | 97 536 | 96 701 | 95 737 | 34 677 | 35 143 | 86 582 | 34 966 | 35 422 | 34 987 | 35 040 |
| – Books | 78 571 | 77 756 | 76 615 | 18 644 | 18 902 | 68 531 | 18 562 | 18 856 | 18 411 | 18 395 |
| Average loans per reader | 19 | 19 | 18 | 26 | 24 | n.a. | 26 | 27.8 | 27.04 | 28.86 |
| – books | 16 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18.5 | 19.6 | 19.24 | 20.50 |
| Number of Chitalishte | 3 125 | 3 056 | 2 933 | 3 000 | n.a. | 2 838 | n.a. | 2 895 | n.a. | n.a |
| – in towns | 514 | 510 | 508 | n.a. | n.a. | 539 | n.a. | 548 | n.a. | n.a |
| – in villages | 2 611 | 2 546 | 2 485 | n.a. | n.a. | 2 299 | n.a. | 2 347 | n.a. | n.a. |
| Members (in ‘000) | 191 000 | 180 000 | 171 000 | n.a. | n.a. | 164 000 | n.a. | 168 000 | n.a. | n.a. |
| – in towns | 86 000 | 81 000 | 79 000 | n.a. | n.a. | 68 000 | n.a. | 67 000 | n.a. | n.a |
| – in villages | 105 000 | 99 000 | 92 000 | n.a. | n.a. | 96 000 | n.a. | 101 000 | n.a | n.a. |
Table 29: Visitors to museums and galleries, 1998-2009
| Field / Year | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2002 | 2005 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visitors (in ‘000) | 5 646 | 5 053 | 3 938 | 3 554.5 | 3 925.2 | 4 060 | 4 631 | 4 371 |
| – of which to art galleries | 1 685 | 1 503 | 880 | 590.6 | 395.6 | 458 | 408 | n.a |
Table 30: Film production, television and radio stations, 1998-2009
| Film production | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 2000 | 2003 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
| Number of film produced | 32 | 79 | 86 | 125 | 70 | 91 | 110 |
| Of which for television | 15 | 62 | 76 | 106 | 59 | 72 | 94 |
| Full-length films | 6 | 13 | 12 | 23 | 19 | 14 | 14 |
| Short- and medium-length films | 26 | 66 | 74 | 102 | 51 | 77 | 72 |
| Television stations | |||||||
| Numbers | 31 | 86 | 98 | 102 | 110 | 119 | 113 |
| Programmes-hours | 206 698 | 395 369 | 498 091 | 599 135 | 661 872 | 747 036 | 694 778 |
| Radio stations | |||||||
| Numbers | 33 | 67 | 89 | 95 | 107 | 114 | 104 |
| Programmes-hours | 354 664 | 493 376 | 525 511 | 591 834 | 843 365 | 797 683 | 726 776 |
Source: Statistical Reference book 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; National Statistical Institute, Bulgaria 2009.
* Culture clubs.
** From 2002 to 2004 and in 2006, the NSI covered libraries only stocking more than 200 000 items.
*** Libraries stocking more than 2 000 items.
Note: From 2002, the NSI will update data on theatres, cinemas and chitalishte on a five-year basis.
Table 31 and 32 provide data on rates of participation in those areas of cultural life that do not receive notable public subsidies, mainly the fields of book publishing and other printed media.
Table 31: Published books and brochures, 1998-2009
| Year | Titles – Number | Circulation – thousands | Average circulation per book – thousands |
Books and brochures per person – numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 4 863 | 11 873.9 | 2.4 | 1.4 |
| 2000 | 5 027 | 9 363.2 | 1.9 | 1.2 |
| 2001 | 4 984 | 6 567.1 | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| 2002 | 6 018 | 5 616.2 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| 2003 | 5 511 | 4 483.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| 2004 | 6 432 | 4 286.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| 2005 | 6 029 | 3 917.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| 2006 | 6 562 | 4 137.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| 2007 | 6 648 | 4 797.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| 2008 | 6 767 | 4 646.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| 2009 | 5 737 | 5 971.0 | 0.9 | 1.1 |
Source: National Statistical Institute, “Bulgaria 2005”, Sofia, 2009, http://www.nsi.bg/
Table 32: Published newspapers, magazines and bulletins, 1998-2009
| Year | Newspapers | Magazines and bulletins | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titles – copies | Yearly printing | Titles – copies | Yearly printing | |||
| Thousand copies | Per capita – copies | Thousand copies | Per capita – copies | |||
| 1998 | 644 | 428 430.3 | 51.9 | 639 | 14 121.3 | 1.7 |
| 2000 | 545 | 442 570.5 | 54.2 | 647 | 19 149.6 | 2.3 |
| 2001 | 465 | 375 244.2 | 47.2 | 678 | 16 999.4 | 2.1 |
| 2002 | 401 | 358 423.6 | 45.5 | 673 | 15 184.0 | 1.9 |
| 2003 | 386 | 297 687.7 | 38.1 | 661 | 17 034.3 | 2.2 |
| 2004 | 420 | 310 500.0 | n.a. | 770 | 19 500.0 | n.a. |
| 2005 | 386 | 297 687.7 | n.a. | 746 | 13 665.2 | n.a. |
| 2006 | 446 | 325 733.1 | 42.3 | 778 | 13 665.2 | n.a. |
| 2007 | 448 | 338 590.0 | 44.2 | 817 | 17 944.0 | n.a. |
| 2008 | 438 | 370 789.0 | 48.6 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| 2009 | 436 | 355 600.0 | 46.9 | 745 | 11 401.0 | n.a. |
Source: http://www.nsi.bg/
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