MaltaToday survey: Support for voluntary euthanasia at 49.1%

SUMMARY

Overall support for voluntary euthanasia stands at 49.1%, while a fifth of voters are undecided, according to a MaltaToday survey.

The survey asked people whether they agreed with the proposal put forward for consultation by the government—voluntary assisted euthanasia should be made available to terminally ill adult patients, who have been given six months to live by doctors.

The results show that support for the proposal is just shy of an absolute majority, while 29.1% of voters are against. A further 21.8% are undecided.

Support for euthanasia is strongest among under-35s, while a relative majority of pensioners are against.

A breakdown of figures by political allegiance shows that just over 50% of PN voters are against euthanasia, while 62% of PL voters are in favour of the reform.

FULL ANALYSIS

Support for voluntary euthanasia on cusp of absolute majority

The first MaltaToday survey since the government issued its White Paper proposing voluntary assisted euthanasia indicates that just under half of respondents agree with the proposed law.

The survey shows that less than a third are opposed but a fifth of the electorate are undecided on the issue.

In the survey, respondents were asked whether persons suffering from a terminal illness and given six months to live by doctors should have the legal right to end their life with medical assistance, as suggested in the new bill, which is still at the public consultation stage.

The survey shows that just under half of respondents (49.1%) agree with the proposal, 29.1% are opposed, and a substantial 21.8% are still undecided.

When considering the survey’s margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points, this means that support for the bill could range between 46% and 53%.

A survey held by the Times of Malta in February, before the White Paper was issued, showed that 57% supported the introduction of voluntary euthanasia. The MaltaToday survey coincided with increased debate on the topic, on which the local church hierarchy is taking a more vocal stance—including through a pastoral letter read in Maltese churches on 31 May.

Political and generational divides

The survey results echo the political dynamics of the divorce issue 14 years ago, when a majority of PN and elderly voters opposed its introduction, while a majority in the country—particularly among younger and more educated voters—supported it.

In fact, the present survey shows that just over 50% of current PN voters are against the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia, while only 31% support it.

In contrast, support among Labour voters rises to 62%, while opposition to euthanasia drops to 14%.

Among current non-voters, the result reflects the opinion of the general population, with 50% agreeing with voluntary euthanasia and 31% opposed.

Significantly, on this issue—as was the case with divorce—Labour voters are more in sync with younger and more educated voters.

In fact, support for euthanasia increases to 64% in the 16-to-35 age bracket. But support declines with age to 57% among 36-to-50-year-olds, to 48.2% among those aged between 51 and 65, and to just 29% among the over-65s. Significantly, among the latter category, a relative majority of 45% oppose the reform.

Support for euthanasia is also stronger among those who continued their studies after secondary school, peaking at 64% among those with post-secondary education and decreasing slightly to 56% among those with a tertiary education.

In contrast, among those with only a secondary level of education, support falls to just 44%.

These results pose a strategic problem for the PN, which must heed both its core voters—who are mostly against—and strategic demographics it cannot afford to ignore.

The survey also shows greater opposition to euthanasia among women. While only 26% of men oppose euthanasia, the percentage rises to 32% among women.

Gozo defies national trend

Interestingly, as was the case in the divorce referendum in 2011 in which 70% of Gozitans voted against the introduction of divorce, the survey suggests that a relative majority (48%) in Gozo are opposed to euthanasia.

However, the survey shows majorities for euthanasia in all other regions. This ranges from 58% in favour in the Northern region, which includes St Paul’s Bay and Mosta, to 43% in the North Harbour region, which includes urban centres like Sliema, Birkirkara, and Qormi. Support for euthanasia is also stronger in the Labour-leaning South Harbour region (53.5%) and South Eastern region (57%).

The breakdown by region is only indicative, since it is based on a smaller sample and has a higher margin of error.

Respondents agree with a free vote for MPs

Respondents were also asked to state their level of agreement, on a scale from 0 (maximum disagreement) to 10 (maximum agreement), with four declarations related to euthanasia.

The declaration evoking the strongest agreement was the one stating that MPs should be granted the freedom to vote according to their conscience on this issue, rather than along party lines.

On average, respondents expressed a level of agreement of 9.4 out of 10. The survey indicates near-universal agreement across all demographic groups, with 80% of all respondents stating maximum agreement. PL and PN voters gave a similar rating, indicating that voters of both parties expect a free vote on this issue.

The survey also suggests limited support for extending euthanasia to a wider range of conditions. In fact, when faced with a declaration that euthanasia should cover degenerative diseases like ALS and Huntington’s disease, and other painful conditions which do not result in death within six months, the level of agreement falls to an average of 4.2 out of 10.

The survey also suggests that respondents are split on the argument that greater government investment in palliative care would render euthanasia superfluous. The average level of agreement in this case was 5.

Respondents were less convinced by the declaration stating that the introduction of euthanasia would pose a greater risk to poorer individuals, who may be more likely to resort to euthanasia because they feel they are a burden on their families. On this statement, the average level of agreement was 4.4.