Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Bulgaria in March 2026 show a clear trend toward improvement. According to the results of a sociological survey conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center, 53.8% of respondents rate their attitude toward this country as positive, which is significantly higher compared to 44.3% in August 2025. At the same time, the share of negative assessments decreased from 3.7% to 2.3%, indicating a gradual strengthening of the country’s positive image.
In the breakdown of responses, 14.2% of respondents indicated a “completely positive” attitude toward Bulgaria, while another 39.6% described it as “mostly positive.” The share of neutral assessments remains significant at 42.4%, indicating a moderate or insufficiently formed perception among a significant portion of respondents. Negative assessments are limited in scope: 2.1% answered “mostly negative,” only 0.2% — “completely negative,” while 1.4% of respondents were undecided.
The trend is telling: the increase in positive assessments by more than 9 percentage points is accompanied by a simultaneous decline in the negative segment. This means that some respondents who previously held a reserved or critical stance are gradually shifting toward a positive perception.
At the same time, the high proportion of neutral responses indicates that Bulgaria’s image remains less distinct for a significant portion of Ukrainians compared to countries that have a more active presence in the public sphere or are associated with key political processes. In such cases, public opinion forms gradually and depends largely on the informational context and personal experience
An important feature is that even with a large neutral group, negative attitudes toward Bulgaria remain minimal. This creates a favorable foundation for further strengthening the country’s positive image in Ukrainian society.
“Ukrainians do not form their assessments in isolation—they react to the informational context and their own experience of interacting with countries. Where there are more signals and clear actions, we see an increase in positive assessments. Bulgaria is gradually moving into the group of countries with a consistently positive perception,” noted Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group.
Thus, the survey results indicate that Bulgaria is strengthening its position in the public opinion of Ukrainians. The growth of positive attitudes against a backdrop of low negative sentiment creates potential for the further development of bilateral relations at both the social and economic levels.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Bulgaria ranks twelfth in total trade volume of goods with Ukraine, with a figure of $2.99 billion. At the same time, imports of Bulgarian products exceed Ukrainian exports, resulting in a negative trade balance.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, BULGARIA, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
