Malta shows greatest decline in belief that government should aid poor countries

The Maltese have shown the greatest decline in belief that the government should provide foreign aid to poor countries amidst all EU countries and only 48% said that the government should provide aid to developing countries.

A special Eurobarometer survey released on Wednesday by the European Commission has asked respondents whether they believe it should be a government priority to provide foreign aid to developing countries.

Malta was the country which showed the biggest change in sentiment. In June 2018, Maltese individuals were asked the same question and 58% said that the government should absolutely aid poor countries.

In June 2019, the survey showed that Malta dropped by 10% points when asked the same question: only 48% have said that their national government should aid developing countries. 

Respondents were asked a similar question, asking them whether foreign aid should be one of the EU's priorities. Again, Malta dropped by 15% in that in 2019, 67% of Maltese respondents said that foreign aid should be an EU priority.

The study surveyed the attitudes of European citizens on foreign aid and development cooperation and how financial assistance can serve to reduce inequality and tackle irregular migration.

48% of Maltese respondents said that the national government should send foreign aid, 34% said that it shouldn't, and 18% were unsure.

When asked whether financial assistance could aid developing countries and was an effective measure to address irregular immigration, Malta dropped in percentage points here as well. 74% of respondents said that financial assistance is effective, 6% down from last year's survey results.

In almost all countries, respondents are now more likely to agree financial assistance is an effective way to tackle irregular migration than they were in 2018. 

The majority of Maltese respondents think that the most pressing challenges for poor countries is water and sanitation (45%). Respondents were less likely to mention security (19%) and education (40%) as pressing issues. 

Read the entire survey report here: