Book reading most popular entertainment for Bulgarians: survey

SOFIA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Reading books is the most popular and accessible entertainment for Bulgarians, according to a survey released here on Tuesday.

According to a nationwide survey conducted by Alpha Research agency ahead of the Day of Bulgarian Education and Culture and Slavonic Alphabet on Thursday, 66 percent of Bulgarian respondents said they had read a book in the last year, a growth of 6 percent compared to 2014.

Furthermore, 46 percent of Bulgarians bought a book last year, up 9 percent from 2014, the survey showed.

Meanwhile, 47 percent of those polled attended a music concert in the last year, every third Bulgarian enjoyed a theatrical performance, and every fourth watched a Bulgarian film in the cinema.

The increasing mobility of Bulgarians, growth of domestic tourism and increased attention to cultural heritage have led to a serious interest in this direction as well, the agency said, adding that 32 percent of respondents have visited an exhibition, museum or archaeological excavation in the past year.

However, there was a clear asymmetry of the opportunities for cultural life depending on where people live, the agency said. From 45 percent to 55 percent of those living in large cities expressed strong satisfaction with opportunities to experience culture, while nearly 40 percent of inhabitants in small towns claimed there were no such activities at all. Enditem