A survey conducted in the last week of September by the European research agency, Eurobarometer, confirms the strong sense of confidence found in our country.
When asked about the quality of life in Malta, 85% said that this is good. While 26% claimed that quality of life is very good, only 4% said it was very bad. The percentages for our country were better than the European average, as can be seen in the table below. This is in stark contrast to the Opposition’s claim that quality of life is so bad that most people want to leave the country.
The Eurobarometer survey indicates that while 30% of Europeans are very satisfied with their lives, the proportion of Maltese and Gozitans who are very satisfied is 38%. The gap grows even more when looking at the percentage of those who think their lives will improve further in 2022. While in Malta 42% said that their lives would improve next year, only 26% of Europeans had the same view.
While in Malta 42% said that their lives would improve next year, only 26% of Europeans had the same view.
A key factor behind the strong optimism that exists in our country is the good state of the economy. In fact, almost eight out of ten people in Malta told Eurobarometer that they believe that our country’s economy is in a good state. In addition, almost five out of ten respondents believe that the economic situation will continue to improve next year. This is against two out of ten Europeans.
In Malta the two issues that are seen as most important are immigration and the environment. In contrast across the European Union citizens are focused on the economic situation and health, two areas that are not worrying locals.
Almost four-tenths of those interviewed in our country by Eurobarometer said that they are very optimistic about the future of our country. This is when just over one in ten EU respondents have displayed so much optimism. Trust in Government stands at just 44% across the EU, as against 54% in Malta.
Maltese youths most optimistic in the EU
During the same week that the Eurobarometer was released, the European Commission’s research agency, Eurofound, published a detailed study on how COVID-19 has affected young Europeans.
This study showed that across the European Union, optimism among young people fell below 50% in 2021 when it was almost 60% in the summer of last year. In contrast, optimism among young people in Malta rose from under 60% to almost 75% in the same period. This has made our country’s young people the most optimistic in the EU. In contrast Spanish youths are the most pessimistic, with less than half the result achieved in Malta.
Eurofound’s results are in stark contrast to the Opposition’s claim that Maltese young people are so desolate about quality of life that they want to leave our country.
In reality, a professional survey conducted by international experts indicates that not only is this not true, but that young people residing in Malta are the most convinced out of all European youths that they have a good future lying ahead of them.
