The "2022 Cultural Consumption Barometer. Cultural Participation and Democratic Perspectives" released by the National Cultural Research and Training Institute on Sunday, during the 33rd National Theater Festival, indicates among others a decline in participation in theater performances and movie watching at the cinema compared to 2019.The 18th edition of the study assesses the changes in cultural consumption practices, with emphasis on its particularities among the youth, and looks for the first time in Romania at the relationship between culture and democracy.The data provided confirms the trends identified during the pandemic, namely the predominant orientation of cultural consumption towards the online environment and non-public space, noting that the pandemic has left a lasting mark on cultural consumption in the public space, the only increase recorded being the 14 percentage point rise in visits to historical monuments or archaeological sites, at least once a year (59 percent of respondents in 2022, compared to 45 percent in 2019).The decline in various public cultural consumption activities were as follows: theater attendance - from 29 percent in 2019 to 20 percent in 2022; movie watching at cinemas - from 35 percent in 2019 to 26 percent in 2022; book reading / borrowing in libraries - from 28 percent in 2019 to 17 percent in 2022; visits to museums, exhibitions or art galleries - from 38 percent in 2019 to 30 percent in 2022.Another highlighted aspect is that, beyond the background of the pandemic, the decreases in public cultural consumption levels are also explained by the rise in barriers to cultural consumption, which is visible for all categories of consumers."The barriers identified as being on the rise in recent years and which gained ground after the pandemic are culture reception barriers, and the solutions to remove them include increasing the interest in culture and the understanding of cultural products and artistic creations through a sustained education of children and youth, but adults as well," the document states.The study dedicates extensive chapters to cultural activities in non-public space, activities on the internet, as well as the connection between cultural consumption practices and democratic participation.The 2022 Cultural Consumption Barometer is available in digital format on the website www.culturadata.ro.
Romanian deep-tech startup .lumen, the developer of what it says are the world’s first AI-powered glasses for the blind, has secured a new investment from EIT Urban Mobility, the European innovation community focused on advancing sustainable and inclusive urban mobility solutions. The value of the new funding round was not disclosed. The investment aligns with […]
The health spending per capita in Romania was the lowest in the EU, with spending less than half the EU average in 2023, the recently released report, State of Health in the EU - Romania Country Health Profile 2025, shows. At the same time, life expectancy in Romania is 5.1 years below the EU average, […]
Romania’s annual inflation rate stood at roughly 9.8% in November 2025, similar to October, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Food prices increased by 7.6% last month, while services rose roughly 11% and non-food goods climbed 10.7%. The consumer price index rose by 0.42% in November compared with October, while […]
Three French soldiers deployed in Romania as part of NATO’s Multinational Battle Group at Cincu intervened to save a truck driver following a serious traffic accident on the A3 Bucharest–Ploiești motorway, the Romanian Ministry of Defense said. The incident occurred earlier this week as the soldiers were traveling toward Ploiești and witnessed the truck crash...
Eight contemporary art galleries will present the works of the artists they represent at the third edition of the Smallest Art Fair in Town, an event dedicated to works on paper. This edition showcases works “investigating the state of wandering, disorientation, and rediscovery in the face of uncertainty.” Under the title In Dark Woods, A […]
Parents everywhere are asking an important question: What skills will truly prepare a child for a world defined by rapid change, global uncertainty, and the rise of artificial intelligence? For decades, schools focused entirely on academics. Today, research from neuroscience, performance psychology, and leading universities shows a different reality: The students who thrive long-term are […]
