Dimitar Ganev: Bulgarians' Attitude Toward a Healthy Lifestyle

Dimitar Ganev was born in 1986. He graduated in Political Science from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” where he later earned a PhD. He has been a lecturer at the same university for over 10 years. Since 2023, he has been a member of the Academic Council of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.”

He is the author of two books – “The Path to the Constitution” and “The Bulgarian Political Soil.” For over 15 years, he has been actively involved in public opinion research, and since 2016, he has been a co-founder and part of the team at the “Trend” Research Center.

A healthy lifestyle is among the topics increasingly entering the public agenda – both due to people’s growing awareness of the link between daily habits and health, and because of the rising proportion of chronic diseases for which prevention is key. But to what extent do Bulgarians manage to live healthily? What obstacles do they face? And which social groups are most at risk from unhealthy habits?

The conducted national representative survey outlines a complex picture in which the majority of people have a positive attitude toward the idea of a healthy life, but actual adherence to it often diverges from that attitude. The data clearly show that a healthy lifestyle in our country is not only a matter of personal motivation but also of social conditions, accessibility, and habits formed within the family and community.

SELF-ASSESSMENT OF BEHAVIOR: A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE REMAINS RATHER AN EXCEPTION

One of the clearest conclusions from the study is that few Bulgarians define their lifestyle as entirely healthy. Only 6% share that they live in a way that fully corresponds to their ideas of healthiness. Approximately half (49%) define their lifestyle to some extent as unhealthy.

Naturally, distinct demographic differences are observed – young people, those with higher education, higher incomes, and those living in the capital more often describe their behavior as healthier (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Do you personally, in general, lead or not lead a healthy lifestyle?

MAIN BARRIERS: PRICE, ACCESS AND LACK OF CONDITIONS

The main difficulties in leading a healthy lifestyle, according to respondents, are primarily related to high financial costs and difficult access to quality food. A significant portion of people also point to personal barriers such as a lack of motivation or self-discipline, as well as insufficiently reliable information on how to maintain a healthier regimen. For a considerable part, an additional factor is constant stress and exhaustion, as well as the work and family environment, which does not always allow for a change in habits (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. For you personally, what are the main difficulties in leading a healthy lifestyle?

BEHAVIOR: LOW PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND INCONSISTENT EATING HABITS

Data on daily habits show a lack of sustainable healthy behavior:

• 55% do not exercise at all, and only 15% do so regularly.
• Only 36% consume fruits and vegetables daily, even though this is a basic element of healthy eating.
• 43% include fast or processed food in their menu at least once a week, with 9% doing so daily.

The lack of consistent habits shows that even when awareness is present, there are numerous factors – economic, motivational, social – that hinder sustainable behavior.

A healthy lifestyle in Bulgaria is strongly linked to socio-economic and demographic factors. People with higher incomes and education, as well as residents of large cities, especially the capital, have significantly better conditions to eat quality food, exercise regularly, participate in organized sports activities, and maintain more sustainable control over their weight and overall health.

Physical activity also follows distinct demographic differences: men exercise more regularly than women – about one-fifth of them can be defined as regular exercisers (daily or several times a week), while this applies to one in ten women. Young people are the most physically active – approximately 40% of people under 30 exercise regularly, with activity gradually decreasing with age. Residents of Sofia stand out with higher physical activity, which can be explained by both better sports infrastructure and a higher concentration of young and highly educated people. These trends intensify with higher incomes, emphasizing that maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle is the result of a combination of personal choice and the available resources and conditions in the environment.

Fig. 3. How often do you personally consume fruits and vegetables?

Fig. 4. How often do you personally consume fast or processed food (fast food, ready-to-eat meals)?

Fig. 5. How often do you personally exercise?

WHAT DO THESE RESULTS MEAN?

The survey results show that a healthy lifestyle in Bulgaria remains rather neglected. At a declarative level, people understand the benefits and appreciate its importance, but daily life, costs, and habits often lead them back to easier, cheaper, or more convenient solutions.

This discrepancy between attitude and behavior is particularly visible in groups living in poorer social conditions.

The financial factor is leading not only because certain products or services cost more, but because many households operate within a tight budget where priorities are different. “Healthy” is perceived as something that requires greater expense – regardless of whether this is actually the case or a matter of perception. Therefore, cheaper and less nutritious options remain the more accessible choice.

The issue of consistency is also important. The problem is not that people do not know what is beneficial, but that they find it difficult to turn this knowledge into a routine.

Stress, fatigue, lack of time, and an often chaotic schedule make sustainable habits difficult to maintain. This explains why behavior remains inconsistent, even with high awareness of the actual benefits.

However, the differences between groups cannot be reduced to resources alone. Among young people, a healthy lifestyle is also part of the social norm – sports, cleaner eating, and an active lifestyle are elements of their cultural environment. For them, this is not just a health recommendation, but part of how they define themselves and socialize. That is why they are the most physically active, and their behavior comes closest to the “ideal” healthy model.

Ultimately, the study shows that a healthy lifestyle is the result of the intersection of motivation, resources, and cultural environment.

Where the three elements coincide – among young people, university graduates, and people with higher incomes – healthy behavior is much more common. Where the environment and budget impose constraints, good intentions are difficult to translate into daily practice.

* The article is based on a National Representative survey conducted using the “face-to-face” method among 1,001 adult respondents in the period May 12–18, 2025, commissioned by “Health Metrics.”