Cultural activities still below pre-pandemic levels in Romania, survey shows

A survey regarding cultural activities in Romania shows decreased levels of attending theater performances, watching movies in theaters, visiting libraries to read or borrow books, and visiting museums, exhibitions, or art galleries compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Romania’s National Institute for Cultural Research and Training has launched the 2022 "Cultural Consumption Barometer. Cultural Participation and Democratic Perspectives," as part of the National Theater Festival, assessing the changes in cultural consumption practices, emphasizing their characteristics among young people, and, for the first time, analyzing the relationship between culture and democracy.

"The Barometer is back after the pandemic period when we replaced it with a study measuring intentions for cultural participation. However, we have noticed that the trends persist, so we are doing better than in 2021, we are on an upward trend, but we have not yet reached the consumption level of 2019," said Associate Professor Dr. Carmen Croitoru, general director of INCFC, coordinator, and co-author of the study.

The barometer shows decreases in public cultural consumption for attending theater performances, which decreased from 29% in 2019 to 20% in 2022, watching movies in theaters, which decreased from 35% in 2019 to 26% in 2022, visiting libraries to read or borrow books, which decreased from 28% in 2019 to 17% in 2022, and visiting museums, exhibitions, or art galleries, which dropped from 38% in 2019 to 30% in 2022.

The only increase is in visiting historical monuments or archaeological sites at least once a year (59% of respondents in 2022, compared to 45% in 2019).

The results of the Barometer show that, concerning cultural activities in the private sphere carried out by respondents at least once a year, there has been an increase in audio-visual practices: music consumption increased to 96% in 2022, compared to 85% in 2019, and watching TV programs increased to 97% in 2022, compared to 92% in 2019. The Barometer also highlights an increase in internet usage to 85% in 2022, compared to 70% in 2019, and a percentage of social media usage of 88% in 2022, compared to 79% in 2019.

Among internet activities, several significant increases were recorded: 26% of respondents bought books, CDs, theater tickets, two tickets for cultural events, and so on in 2022, compared to 16% in 2019, 51% of respondents watched movies or TV programs online (Netflix, HBO GO, Voyo, etc.) compared to 27% in 2019, and visiting websites of museums, libraries, festivals, theaters, and cultural event pages increased to 40% in 2022, from 12% in 2019.

Data regarding book consumption indicates that in 2022 56% of respondents read printed books, and 28% read electronic books.