To capture national and cross-national perspectives on key aspects related to ageing, a public opinion poll was conducted in four countries: Bulgaria, Hungary, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Commissioned by the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz as part of the project Transforming Anxieties of Ageing in Southeastern Europe, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, the survey was carried out by Ipsos Strategic Marketing between December 2024 and January 2025.
Survey Methodology
The poll offers valuable insights into public attitudes and opinions among the adult population (18+) across the four countries. It employed a mixed-method approach, combining face-to-face, telephone, and online interviews conducted in both urban and rural areas. Sample sizes ranged from 802 to 1,112 respondents per country. Participants were selected to reflect the diversity of each national population — including differences in age, gender, education, employment status, region, and settlement type.
Bulgaria:
- 1,000 respondents; data were collected through a mixed method of face-to-face (70%) and online (30%) interviews. The face-to-face component used a three-stage stratified sampling method: primary sampling units were selected with probability proportional to size, households were selected randomly, and respondents were chosen based on demographic quotas. The online component employed a one-stage stratified design, in which respondents were selected directly from a panel according to predefined quotas.
Hungary:
- 802 respondents; data were collected exclusively through telephone interviews. A two-stage stratified sample was used, with random selection of households followed by quota-based respondent selection.
North Macedonia:
- 1,033 respondents; the survey was conducted through telephone (90%) and online (10%) interviews. The telephone component followed a two-stage stratified sampling design, with random household selection and quota-based respondent selection. The online component used a one-stage stratified sample, where respondents were selected directly from a panel according to predefined quotas.
Serbia:
- 1,112 respondents; interviews were conducted by telephone (77%) and online (23%). The telephone survey used a two-stage stratified sampling approach, with randomly selected households and quota-based respondent selection. The online sample was drawn through a one-stage stratified design.
To improve representativeness across all four countries, post-stratification weighting was applied. This statistical adjustment ensures that the final data more accurately reflect each country’s population by correcting for any imbalances in key demographic groups — such as age, gender, region, and settlement type (urban or rural).
The questionnaire explored a wide range of topics, including personal perspectives on ageing, social inequalities and support systems, societal attitudes toward older adults, and specific national concerns related to demographic change.
To accompany the findings, one-pagers have been developed for each country, presenting the most important insights from the opinion poll in a concise and accessible format. Each one-pager is available in two versions: an English edition and a version in the respective national language — Bulgarian, Hungarian, Macedonian, or Serbian.
Bulgaria
Hungary
North Macedonia
Serbia
България
Magyarország
Северна Македонија
Srbija
Comparative Two-Pager
