Nearly a third in Malta believe 2026 will be better

 A clear majority of people in Malta say their household income remained unchanged over the past year but nearly a third believe 2026 will be better.

The figures come from a new Eurobarometer survey published this week. The data was collected in September 2025 and provides a snapshot of how residents perceive both recent financial developments and what lies ahead.

The survey was held in all 20 members of the euro area and included 500 respondents in Malta.

The survey shows that 62% of respondents reported stable household income in 2025, a sharp increase of seven percentage points over last year’s Flash Eurobarometer. This places Malta among the countries with the highest sense of income stability in the euro area, second only to Portugal’s 68% and well above the eurozone average of 54%.

Only 17% of Maltese respondents reported an increase in income, a slight drop from the previous survey and noticeably lower than the euro area average of 22%. By comparison, countries such as Croatia (40%) and Lithuania (33%) reported far higher levels of income growth.

Meanwhile, 21% said their income had decreased, down by five points since the last survey but still marginally above the eurozone average of 20%. The figure remains significantly lower than the decline reported in Greece (31%) and Italy (28%).

The data suggests that while households in Malta experienced less volatility than many of their European counterparts, upward movement in income remains comparatively limited. It also suggests that despite the significant tax cut in last year’s budget, nearly two thirds felt no meaningful change in their income. Any increases appear to have been offset by inflationary pressures, leaving many Maltese feeling they are in the same financial position.

Cautious optimism for 2026

When asked about the year ahead, respondents offered a more mixed outlook. Three in ten Maltese (30%) expect their income to rise in 2026, a small decline from last year yet still one of the highest levels of optimism in the euro area. Only Lithuania, Estonia, Croatia and Ireland registered higher levels of optimism.

However, this optimism is tempered by a relatively elevated share of pessimists. 18% of respondents anticipate a drop in income, two points higher than in the previous survey and above the eurozone average of 14%.

This places Malta among the more cautious member states, matching Luxembourg and trailing only Greece and Italy, both at 23%.

A narrow majority, 52%, expect their income to stay the same over the coming year, unchanged from last year but slightly below the euro area norm of 58%. When asked about their expectations regarding the inflation rate this year, 43% of respondents in Malta anticipated that inflation would be higher than it was last year, indicating significant concern about rising prices. This figure remained unchanged compared to the previous survey period, suggesting a consistent perception of ongoing inflationary pressure.

Meanwhile, 34% of Maltese respondents believed the inflation rate would remain the same as the previous year. Compared to the euro area average, where 50% expected higher inflation, Malta’s expectation of higher inflation (43%) was noticeably lower. This places Malta among the less pessimistic countries regarding inflation expectations, contrasting

sharply with Italy (84%) and the Netherlands (76%), which reported the highest expectations for higher inflation.

Malta among euro area leaders in support for abolishing cent coins

Support for removing the smallest euro coin denominations, the 1 and 2 cent coins, is generally high across the euro area, but Malta stands out among the countries most strongly in favour of this policy, which would involve rounding final purchase prices to the nearest five cents.

Across the euro area, 61% of respondents favour abolishing the 1 and 2 cent coins, while 35% are opposed.

Malta shows above average enthusiasm for the change, with 63% of respondents indicating they are in favour of abolishing the cent coins. This places Malta among the group of countries with strong support, such as Ireland (67%) and Portugal (62%). The proportion of Maltese respondents supporting abolition increased by three percentage points compared to the results from October 2024.

Other countries, however, show even higher levels of support. Italy records the highest approval at 85%, followed closely by Slovakia (84%), and both Estonia and Lithuania at 78%. The Netherlands also reports strong support for abolition at 78%, despite already encouraging or enforcing rounding through national legislation, as is also the case in Belgium, Finland, Ireland and Slovakia.

Conversely, Malta’s opposition rate of 32% is lower than the euro area average of 35%. Spain and Greece register the highest rates of opposition across the euro area, with only 43% and 47%, respectively, in favour of getting rid of the low value coins.