The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on Tuesday that according to a recent survey less than 10% of Bosnian respondents believe that the economic and political conditions in their country were better in 2016 than four years ago.
These percentages – 9 and 8%, respectively – are much lower than the averages for Southeastern Europe (SEE), both at 17%, as well as the corresponding figures for the transition region, 24 and 28%, respectively, the EBRD said in its latest report of the Life in Transition Survey. The survey questioned 51,000 households in 34 countries, mainly from transition countries in central and eastern Europe, as well as Turkey. It also covered Cyprus and Greece for the first time. For the sake of comparison with more prosperous western neighbours, the survey was also carried out in Germany and Italy.
In Bosnia, only 1 in 10 respondents think that corruption levels improved in the four years preceding the survey which, again, is well below both the SEE average of 18% and the transition region average of 23%, the EBRD noted.
On the other hand, a quarter of those surveyed believe that their household was better off in 2016 as compared with four years prior to the survey, and one in three are satisfied with their current personal financial situation. These percentages are both above the respective SEE averages.
Life satisfaction has increased across all age and income groups since the last survey, particularly among those in the upper income bracket, from 32% in 2010 to 40% in 2016, the EBRD survey found out.
The share of Bosnian respondents who think that children born now will have a better life than the current generations is virtually unchanged since the last survey: 36% of respondents were optimistic in 2010, as opposed to 37% in 2016. The level of optimism about the future in Bosnia and Herzegovina is, therefore, lower than that in SEE where it stands at 39%, the transition region with 50% and Germany with 46%, but above Italian levels of 22%, the EBRD said.
In terms of attitudes towards democracy and the market economy, 46% and 36% of Bosnian respondents support democracy and the market economy, respectively. However, this is less than the average in the SEE, the transition region and Germany.
Only a minority of those surveyed believe that some basic democratic institutions exist in the country. For instance, 39% of respondents think that peace and stability and freedom of speech are guaranteed, while 36% think that gender equality is respected.
Only one in four respondents believe that the country has an independent press and a fair court system, while one in five think that a strong political opposition exists.
Conversely, 71% of Bosnian respondents consider their health to be “good “or “very good”, one of the highest figures in the transition region, and also above the German and Italian figures of 68% and 54%, respectively.
Deeper details into the state of Bosnia's society were revealed when the respondents were asked from a list of options what they thought were the most important factors for success in life in their country. A total of 45% of Bosnian respondents chose “political connections”, up from 33% in 2010. By contrast, 35% of respondents answered “effort and hard work” and 16% opted for “intelligence and skills”.
In regards to attitudes to women, 89% and 84% of female and male Bosnian respondents, respectively, think that women are as competent as men to be business executives, and 76% of those surveyed – of either gender – believe that it is important that their daughter achieves a university education.
However, about half of Bosnian respondents favour a traditional family arrangement where the man works and the woman takes care of the family, while 34% think that a woman should do the household chores, even if her husband is not working.