Bormla, Valletta with highest concentration of separated people and single mothers on assistance

Bormla has the highest concentration of separated individuals on social assistance, according to figures tabled in Parliament last week.

Just over 3% of the resident Maltese population in the harbour city are separated and receiving social assistance or an equivalent unemployment benefit.

The figures also show that the locality has the highest concentration of single mothers receiving social assistance.

Valletta, the capital, places second in both league tables.

HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS

Single mothers receiving social assistance

1.    Cospicua (154)    3%

2.    Valletta (133)    2.4%

3.    Senglea (61)    2.3%

Separated people receiving social assistance

1.    Cospicua (164)    3.2%

2.    Valletta (138)    2.5%

3.    Floriana (35), Hamrun (162), Xghajra (30)        1.9%

The numbers in brackets represent the actual cases. The percentage represents the number of cases as a proportion of the localities’ Maltese-only population, giving the concentration. Ranking is based on the percentage.

The figures for separated people and single mothers on social assistance for each locality were tabled by Social Solidarity Minister Michael Falzon. He was answering a parliamentary question by Labour MP Etienne Grech.

MaltaToday worked out the numbers as a percentage of each locality’s Maltese-only population to determine the concentration.

And while there are other localities with more separated people and single mothers living there than Bormla and Valletta, the two localities have the highest concentration, given their relatively smaller populations.

Population figures were taken from the estimates released by the National Statistics Office earlier this year.

The figures show that St Paul’s Bay had the highest number of separated people on social assistance with 225 living in the northern seaside locality, followed by Birkirkara with 220.

However, the Maltese-only population for both localities stands at 14,597 and 21,392 respectively, which means they have a lower concentration.

The top 10 localities with the highest concentrations are predominantly those around the Grand Harbour, confirming the higher prevalence of poverty in the Southern Harbour region.

There are 3,305 separated people in Malta and Gozo and 2,464 single mothers, who are receiving social assistance.

“Most of these cases are women, who were never in a job when they were still married or who had to stop working to take care of their children after the separation”

A spokesperson for the Social Solidarity Ministry said that more than 80% of separated people on social assistance are women.

“Most of these cases are women, who were never in a job when they were still married or who had to stop working to take care of their children after the separation,” the spokesperson said.

In the case of women recognised as single mothers, these would never have been married, and include teenage pregnancies.

The small Gozitan localities of Fontana and San Lawrenz have no single mothers on social assistance. San Lawrenz also has no separated people living there who are on social assistance.