Malta has EU’s highest use of generative AI

Malta is the EU’s leading user of generative artificial intelligence—systems that generate text, images, videos, computer code and other content in response to prompts.

According to the latest Eurobarometer survey, 38% of Maltese use generative AI every day in their personal lives—the highest rate in the EU and almost double the European average of 20%.

To put Malta’s lead into perspective, daily use stands at just 13% in Portugal, the lowest in the bloc, while other high-adoption countries such as Croatia (33%) and Cyprus (30%) still trail Malta.

Popular examples of generative AI include ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and Midjourney.

Malta’s lead extends to workplaces and educational institutions. Some 39% of Maltese respondents say they use generative AI every day for work or study, again the highest proportion in the EU and nearly double the bloc’s 20% average.

Cyprus and Luxembourg follow with 29%, while Greece (12%) and Portugal (14%) record the lowest levels of daily professional and educational use.

The survey also shows AI adoption is accelerating faster in Malta than anywhere else in Europe. Among people who already use generative AI, 86% say their use has increased over the past year, while 55% say it has “increased a lot”. Both figures are the highest in the EU, ahead of the Netherlands (48%) and Denmark (46%).

The findings also point to strong optimism about technology. More than half of Maltese respondents (52%) believe AI and automation will have the greatest positive impact on their lives over the next decade, tying with Sweden for first place. The European average is 39%.

Priority to digital policy

Malta also places greater importance on digital policy than any other member state. Some 91% believe digital policy should be a priority for the EU, compared to an EU average of 79%. Almost half of respondents (46%) describe it as a “very high priority”, the second-highest share in the bloc after Cyprus (47%).

Support for AI remains strongest where respondents see a clear public benefit. Around 87% believe AI development should be prioritised to improve public services such as healthcare and public transport, tying Malta for second place with Hungary and just behind Slovakia (88%).

At the same time, Maltese favour robust safeguards. Some 84% support careful regulation of AI to ensure it is safe, even if this places restrictions on developers. Across the EU, privacy concerns (39%) and doubts about the accuracy of AI-generated content (36%) remain the biggest barriers to wider adoption.

Digital sovereignty

The survey also highlights Malta’s distinctive approach to digital sovereignty. While 86% agree the EU should develop its own independent digital infrastructure, only 66% believe the bloc should reduce its dependence on digital services from non-EU countries—the second-lowest figure in the EU after Romania (64%) and well below the EU average of 82%.

Despite this, 57% of Maltese say they would be willing to switch to a European digital service provider, almost identical to the EU average of 58%. The main reasons cited are greater security and reliability (55%) and stronger protection of personal data (49%).

The findings come from Special Eurobarometer 572 – The Digital Decade 2026, commissioned by the European Commission. The survey interviewed 26,494 people aged 15 and over across all 27 EU member states using a stratified random sample. In Malta, MISCO International conducted 518 interviews between 5 February and 1 March 2026 using a combination of face-to-face (CAPI) and video (CAVI) interviews. Malta recorded one of the highest response rates in the survey at 80.8%.