Македонски центар за меѓународна соработка - МЦМС

Author: Sašo Klekovski
Date: 2009
PDF:   relation-towards-traditional-secular-values.pdf

For the first time, the Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation has surveyed the relations towards the traditional (secular) values in Macedonia.

The survey showed that Macedonia is a traditional or socially conservative country. The support for the traditional values i.e. the opposition to divorce is 58.9%, while to homosexuality is 91.6%. The World Value Survey also confirms this as the traditional values in Macedonia are enhanced.

Although small minority of citizens approve the violence on women (3.1%) and children (6.9%), this issue requires further attention. Attention should be also paid on the relatively high approval of violence on children by ethnic Albanians (19.9%).

The positions of men and women on gender issues, including abortion are similar and do not differ for more than +/- 5 percentage points, with the exception of sex work (prostitution).

There are differences between ethnic Macedonians and ethnic Albanians, emerging also between the Orthodox Christians and Muslims.

The support for traditional values ranges from 53.5% for the opposition to divorce to 90.1% for the opposition to the homosexuality among the ethnic Macedonians, compared to 72.5% to 94.8% among the ethnic Albanians.

The religious citizens are more likely to support the traditional values compared with the non-religious citizens. For example, disapproval of divorce is for 20.1 percentage points higher among the religious citizens. However, both groups have similar positions on the other issues, such as disapproving the sex work (prostitution).

The support for the secular values is highest in Skopje (40.12%). On the other hand, it is lowest in the rural areas (77.92%). For example, the opposition to divorce is for 17.1 percentage points lower among the citizens of Skopje compared with the residents of rural areas.

There is no significant difference on party (ideological) grounds between the right and left wing i.e. the supporters of VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM. Among VMRO-DPMNE supporters, 66.1% oppose the abortion, while this percentage among SDSM members reaches 59.4. The difference is higher only on the euthanasia issue.

There is no significant difference among VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM supporters in terms of religiousness, 84.9% of VMRO-DPMNE and 79.2% of SDSM supporters consider themselves to be religious.
Large majority of citizens (83.3%) consider them to be religious, 14.8% do not consider them to be religious and 1.1% report to be atheists.