VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Population growth, political loyalty and changes in social attitudes are at the heart of Malta’s State of the Nation 2026 survey, which highlights significant transformations in Maltese society.
Opening the conference presenting the findings, Malta’s President, Myriam Spiteri Debono, called for a broad and balanced debate on the population, based on long-term planning and focused on quality of life, social cohesion and the common good.
This year’s theme is “The population and the Maltese nation in 50 years”, against a backdrop of growing interest in the country’s rapid demographic changes.
The survey, conducted among 1,064 people aged 16 and over, found a progressive weakening of political loyalty. While 60.2% of respondents said they had always voted for the same political party, 44.6% said they would consider voting for a different party in the future. The figure rises to 74% among those aged 26 to 35, while 65.1% of respondents with tertiary education would be willing to change their political allegiance. Political participation nevertheless remains high: 79.5% said they intend to vote in the next elections.
At the same time, satisfaction with one’s life has declined, falling from 72.1% to 67.9% over the past year. Some 52.5% of respondents said they live from day to day, without planning their lives.
The survey also highlights Malta’s growing dependence on foreign labour. Some 53.2% are in favour of foreign workers entering the country to perform jobs that Maltese people are unwilling to do, although among young people there is a stronger perception of foreign workers as a threat. Religious faith remains widespread: 90.5% of respondents say they believe in God. However, only 57% consider religion very important in their lives, the lowest percentage recorded over the past six years. Social media are also confirmed as one of the main sources of information. News links shared on Facebook are used by 50.1% of respondents, followed by Instagram at 15.4% and TikTok at 10.8%.
Among the values presented to respondents, justice was considered the most important, ahead of freedom, equality and solidarity. As for Maltese culture, traditional food and village feasts remain the most highly appreciated elements. Finally, confidence in government incentives aimed at encouraging couples to have children has declined. Some 47.6% of respondents believe that such measures are not sufficient to persuade couples to have more children, compared with 36% last year.
– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
