67% of Maltese see corruption in building permits sector, highest in EU

Malta has recorded the highest level of perceived corruption in the European Union among officials responsible for issuing building permits, according to the latest Special Eurobarometer survey on corruption.

The survey found that 67% of Maltese respondents believe corruption is widespread among officials dealing with building permits, almost double the EU average of 36%. The figure marks a 9% increase since 2025, placing Malta at the top of the European ranking for perceived corruption in a sector mired in controversy.

But the perception of widespread corruption extends beyond planning. A majority of Maltese respondents also identified corruption in the awarding of public tenders (59%) and the issuing of business permits (52%), both significantly higher than EU averages of 39% and 28% respectively.

Concerns extend to courts and public institutions

The survey points to deep public scepticism towards a broad range of institutions.

Some 38% of Maltese respondents believe corruption is widespread in the courts, compared to an EU average of 18%, while 34% hold the same view of the public prosecution service, more than double the European average of 15%.

Perceptions of corruption are also particularly high in social security and welfare authorities, where 43% of Maltese respondents believe corruption is widespread, nearly three times the EU average of 15%. In the education sector, 31% expressed similar concerns, compared to 13% across the bloc.

Political parties also fare poorly, with 65% of Maltese respondents identifying them as affected by corruption, while 39% said the same of police and customs authorities.

Malta among worst performers for direct exposure

The survey suggests that concerns about corruption are not limited to perception alone.

While only 5% of EU citizens reported experiencing or witnessing corruption during the previous 12 months, the figure rises to 14% in Malta, placing the country joint first with Bulgaria. The Maltese figure represents a five-point increase over the previous year, the largest increase registered among EU member states.

Malta also ranks among the highest countries for personal familiarity with corrupt practices. Nearly one in four respondents—23%—said they personally know someone who takes or has taken bribes, the third-highest rate in the Union.

Growing belief that corruption is increasing

A strong majority of Maltese citizens believe corruption remains a serious national problem.

Some 87% said corruption is widespread, making Malta the fifth-highest country in the EU on this indicator. Meanwhile, 66% believe corruption has increased over the past three years, well above the European average of 48%.

The survey also highlights widespread concern about the relationship between politics and business. An overwhelming 88% of Maltese respondents agreed that excessively close links between politicians and business interests contribute to corruption, the third-highest rate in the EU after Greece and Cyprus.

Confidence in anti-corruption efforts continues to fall

Public confidence in the authorities' willingness and ability to tackle corruption remains weak.

Four out of five respondents—80%—believe high-level corruption cases are not pursued sufficiently. This represents the largest year-on-year increase in dissatisfaction recorded anywhere in the EU.

Only 25% believe enough corruption cases result in successful prosecutions to discourage wrongdoing, a figure that declined by seven percentage points since last year.

Trust in institutions responsible for handling corruption complaints has also deteriorated. Just 12% of Maltese respondents trust the justice system to deal effectively with corruption reports. Trust in non-governmental organisations stands at the same level, following the sharpest decline recorded among all member states.

Fear of retaliation discourages reporting

The survey indicates that significant obstacles continue to discourage whistleblowing and reporting of corruption.

A total of 42% of Maltese respondents cited fear of retaliation and insufficient protection as a reason for not reporting corruption, the second-highest rate in the EU after Cyprus.

Meanwhile, 28% agreed with the statement that "everybody knows about corruption, but no one reports it", an eight-point increase compared to the previous year's survey.

The findings are based on interviews conducted with 518 respondents in Malta between February and March 2026.