52% of Maltese young people say they shun activism

Only 48% of Maltese young people have participated in voluntary organisations, sports clubs, cultural organisations, political movements and other NGOs, an EU-wide survey shows.

According to the Eurobarometer survey, participation in such organisations is only lower in Cyprus (47%) and Latvia (45%).

In all but six countries (Cyprus, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland and Slovakia), a majority of young people have participated over the last 12 months in one or more organisation.

The proportion having participated in these organisations in this timeframe ranges from 45% in Latvia and 47% in both Cyprus and Malta, to 66% in Belgium and 67% in Ireland.

In most countries, lack of time was given as the main reason for not participating in a youth organisation or in youth activities.

The share of respondents stating that they lack time was largest in Malta (50%) and Luxembourg (49%) and smallest in Slovakia (27%) and Romania (29%).

In almost all member states including Malta, a sports club is the type of youth organisation young people are most likely to have participated in over the last 12 months.

The share of young people having participated in a sports club over the last 12 months ranges from 15% in both Cyprus and Romania and 16% in Malta, to 35% in Belgium and 36% in the Netherlands.

The proportion having participated in an organisation with volunteering activities ranges from 11% in Latvia and 12% in Sweden, to 24% in Romania.  In Malta 15% of young people participated in volunteering activities.

German young people were the most likely to participate in environmental and climate change activism (18%) and in human rights activism (14%).  Malta registers the lowest level of young people’s participation in human rights organisations (5%) and a slightly higher participation in environmental activism (8%). At 8%, young people’s participation in political parties is equivalent to the European average.

The survey held in February and March included 507 Maltese young people aged between 15 to 30 and was held between 22 February and 4 March 2022.