Topless sunbathing on European beaches fell by 10 percent between the mid-2000s and 2019, a study by French polling company IFOP has revealed.
The research, reported by news outlet The Olive Press, found that Spanish beaches maintained the highest annual percentage of topless sunbathing and experienced the smallest overall decline among all countries surveyed. However, data highlights a sharp demographic divide across Spain and the rest of Europe.
Topless sunbathing remains popular among Spanish women aged over 50. In contrast, younger women on beaches across the continent are increasingly choosing to stay covered.
Reasons for the decline
Spanish sociologist Dr Patricia Soley-Beltran said top-free sunbathing on European beaches reached its peak popularity during the 1980s, when it was seen as a gesture of freedom and self-expression. Younger generations have gradually turned away from that cultural philosophy.
In the survey, young women identified three primary concerns that deter them from uncovering their breasts at the beach. Half of respondents, or 50 percent, stated that a fear of sexual violence stops them from sunbathing topless. A further 48 percent reported unwanted stares or offensive comments from men, while 46 percent cited the risk of being photographed and posted on social media platforms.
Travel and lifestyle expert Anabel Vazquez said this behavioral shift is occurring against the broader backdrop of a wave of puritanism and conservatism taking hold among the younger generation.
IFOP, short for the Institut Français d'Opinion Publique, is a Paris-based international research group that tracks social trends across Western Europe. Spain has traditionally been recognized as one of the region's most permissive beach destinations, where sunbathing customs developed rapidly following the end of authoritarian rule in the late 1970s.
Depopulation in Italian mountain villages
In separate European tourism news, the small mountain settlement of Sorianello in Calabria, southern Italy, faces an ongoing population decline. Located far from Italy's major tourist cities, the village is now home to just over 1,000 residents.
During the 1960s, Sorianello recorded a population of more than 2,000 people. In the decades since, local homes have stood empty and school classrooms have fallen silent as young residents repeatedly move away in search of better opportunities.
