VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – More than one in three people in Malta say pollution and grime affect their household, making the island the worst-hit nation in Europe, new EU data shows. Figures published by Eurostat reveal that 34.7% of Maltese reported being regularly impacted by pollution in 2023, compared to an EU average of just 12.2%. Greece ranked second with 20.5%, followed by Germany at 16.5%. At the other end of the scale, only 4.2% of Croatians said pollution affected their households, with Sweden and Slovakia close behind.
Malta has consistently topped the EU chart since joining in 2004, rarely seeing its figure fall below 30%. Rates peaked near 40% between 2010 and 2013, dropped to 26.5% in 2017, but have since climbed back, hitting their highest in nearly a decade last year. The figures underscore Malta’s ongoing struggles with emissions, traffic congestion and waste management.
While the country recently reported the sharpest quarterly drop in greenhouse gas emissions across the bloc, years of rising emissions and worsening urban pollution remain a concern. Waste disposal has also become a flashpoint. Residents in several towns have voiced frustration, with locals recently staging street protest to demand tighter enforcement against littering and illegal dumping. Environmental experts warn that unless Malta strengthens its waste management systems and curbs traffic-related emissions, its pollution burden is unlikely to ease.
– Foto IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
