Though we are nearing the end of a year dominated by Covid-19, economic uncertainty and political instability, more than half of Bulgarians (55%) say they were happy in 2021, indicate the results of a survey conducted by Trend sociological agency in the period 1-7 December. 

The highest percentage of respondents who say they were happy (3/4) is among the young, while people aged over 70 say they were unhappy during the outgoing year. On a national level, only 14% of the respondents say the past 12 months have been good for Bulgaria, 79% say it has been a bad year for the country. On a personal level, however, positive assessments prevail with 46% of the respondents, predominantly the younger and wealthier among them, assess the year as having been a good one for them, 42% describe it as having been bad.

The pandemic and the accompanying problems have altered the way Bulgarians assess the past two years in a negative way, sociologist say.

Still, Bulgarians are optimistic about 2022 – 47% of the respondents say that it will be a better year for Bulgaria and approximately half that percentage – 24% say the year will be bad for the country. The tendency is the same on a personal level, with 52% saying they expect a better year personally, and only 18% saying they are pessimistic about the next 12 months.

Editor: Vessela Krasteva