A survey by "Gallup International" shows that 42% of the surveyed Bulgarians would not fight for their country if there was a war.

A total of 30 percent of them would fight, and the rest of those questioned in our country hesitate and do not know how to answer, reports the sociological agency.

The data is from a new survey by the world association "Gallup International", which took place in 45 countries around the world and is representative of more than half of the world's population.

A total of 46,138 people were interviewed globally.

In each country, around 1,000 people were interviewed face-to-face, by phone or online between October and December 2023.

The statistical error in the study is in the range of ±3-5% with a confidence interval of 95%.

The data shows that today, compared to 10 years ago, fewer people around the world are willing to fight for their country.  

In 2014, in our country, 25% of those interviewed answered that they would fight if our country participated in a war, and 47% declared that they would not.

Bulgarians seem to be closer in their attitudes to the Western European countries than to the Eastern ones - again, as ten years ago, according to the survey.

It seems that the declared readiness to fight for the country has decreased after the outbreak of conflicts in various parts of the globe in recent years.

In 2014, for example, after the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, attitudes on the same issue showed that 61% of the population surveyed globally were ready to fight for their country, with 27% expressing the opposite opinion.

Globally, the division between the global South/East and the global North/West is now clearly visible.

While citizens of the EU - 32% there say they would fight, the US with 41% and Canada with 34% are much less willing to join a battle if their country is at war, then people in West Asia (77%), the Middle East (73%), where tensions are also currently high, and India (76%), are much more willing to fight for their country.

The exceptions in Europe, where people say they are more willing to fight for their country in a war, are in countries outside the EU - around 60 percent of those asked in those countries are ready to fight.

Among the countries where people are most willing to fight for their country are Armenia - 96%, Saudi Arabia - 94%, Azerbaijan - 88%, Pakistan - 86% and Georgia with 83%. 

At the other extreme are Italy with 78% "no" answers, Austria - 62%, Germany - 57%, Nigeria - 54% and Spain - 53%.

In Russia, 32% say they are ready to go to war for their country, 20% are not, and a significant share of 48% say they don't know.

It should also be noted that this is a question asked in a country where opposition to the war is currently a de facto crime, Gallup International points out.

10 years ago, 59 percent answered "yes" in Russia. 

In Ukraine, people are more likely to personally defend their country - 62%, and the percentage has remained unchanged over the past decade.

But even there, 33% state that they would not participate in battles for their country.

In the country, peace negotiations are currently practically prohibited by law, sociologists add.

You can read the entire survey on the Gallup International page. 

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