Malta is slightly less gloomy but concern on inflation has increased

The country’s general outlook remains a far cry from the ‘best of times’ but a growing sense of optimism is creeping in, a MaltaToday survey finds. 

A substantial majority (60.5%) still think the country has taken a wrong turn, but the mood has been shifting gradually since October. 

The trendline for those who believe the country is going in the right direction has increased from 31% in October to 35% in November to 39.5% now. 

The feelgood factor seems to have endured until October 2022 when a  Eurobarometer survey conducted by the European Commission showed that a staggering 65% of Maltese respondents thought the country was going in the right direction.  

But the mood progressively deteriorated throughout 2023 when another Eurobarometer survey conducted in May showed that the proportion of people who think Malta is going in the right direction had already decreased to 36%. 

The latest MaltaToday survey suggests that the mood is once again shifting for the better. 

Significantly, optimism has increased among those aged between 36 and 50, a category which is more likely to include those workers at the peak of their careers and parents with dependent children. 

In this cohort the percentage who think the country is going in the right direction has increased from 23% in November to 38% now.  

A similar upward movement was registered among those aged between 51 and 65. In this age cohort, the percentage of those who think the country is going in the right direction increased from 34% to 44%. 

Pensioners (65+) remain the most optimistic even though the percentage of those who think the country is moving in the right direction has shrunk from 49% to 46%. 

The least optimistic are those aged between 16 and 35 amongst which only 30% (down from 32% in November) think that the country is going in the right direction.

Gozo most optimistic region 

A regional breakdown suggests that Gozo in which 52% think the country is going in the right direction, is the most optimistic region while the North Harbour, where 70% think the country has taken the wrong turn, is the most pessimistic. 

Of concern to Labour strategists is the mood in the Southeastern region where 69% (up from 65% in November) think the country has taken a wrong turn. 

As expected, Nationalist voters tend to be the most pessimistic. Among this cohort only 9% (down from 15% in November) believe that the country has taken a right turn. In contrast 85% of current Labour voters (up from 67% in November) think the country is on the right path. 

The mood among non-voters is slightly less gloomy than in November, with the percentage who think that the country has taken a wrong turn decreasing from 77% to 73.5%.

Cost of living overtakes foreigners as main concern

As was the case in October inflation, the increase in the number of foreigners, traffic, corruption and construction remain the country’s most pressing concerns. 

This represents a sharp reversal from the post 2013 political landscape in which bread-and-butter issues had evaporated from the list of most pressing concerns following the reduction of utility bills, which along with inflation had topped the list under previous PN administrations. 

Government subsidies have kept concerns on utility bills negligible, but inflation triggered by global instability, has now overtaken all other concerns, including that on the growing number of foreigners, the country’s main concern in October. 

While concern on foreigners has decreased from 25% in October to 22% now, concern on inflation has increased from 24% to 29%. 

Corruption (up from 11% to 18%) has also overtaken traffic (down from 13% to 9%) as Malta’s third most pressing concern. Concern on rampant construction and over development remains in fifth place at 6% down from 8% in October.

Inflation concerns PL voters, corruption PN voters 

Significantly, concern on inflation has also overtaken concern on foreigners among Labour voters. In this cohort preoccupation with inflation has shot up from 18% in October to 31% now. Concern on foreigners has on the other hand declined from 31% to 27%. 

But concern on foreigners remains higher among Labour (27%) voters than among Nationalist voters (16%). 

Corruption remains the top concern among PN voters, increasing to 32% from 24% in October.  This is followed by the cost of living, which clocks in at 26%, an increase of eight points since October. 

In contrast only 2% of PL voters think that corruption is the most pressing concern. 

But in a clear indication that corruption is contributing to widespread disenchantment with the political system, 17% of non-voters think that corruption is the greatest problem facing Malta. Howevere, among non-voters the top concern is inflation (30%) followed by concern on foreigners (21%). 

Concern on traffic is highest among Labour voters (16%) while concern on construction and over development is highest among non-voters (8%). 

In a reversal of past trends Labour voters (6%) are also more concerned with construction than PN voters (4%).

Affluent voters more concerned with corruption  

A breakdown by income shows that concern on corruption peaks at 30% among those earning a monthly income of between €3,000 and €4,000. This category is also the most concerned about construction (18%) and the least concerned with the cost of living (13%).  Concern on foreigners is highest among those earning between €1,000 and €2,000 (26%) while concern on inflation peaks at 32% among those earning less than €1,000. 

On a regional level concern on inflation trumps all other concerns in all Maltese regions except the Western region where concern on foreigners (27%) emerges as the most pressing issue. Concern on inflation is highest in the South Harbour region (32.5%).   

A breakdown by age shows that concern on inflation is highest among those aged between 36 and 50, where it peaks at 32%. This cohort is more likely to include respondents with dependent children. Concern on foreigners, peaks at 29% among those aged between 51 and 65.