67% say air quality in Malta has deteriorated over past decade

The Maltese and the Cypriots are the most likely in Europe to think that air quality in their country has deteriorated in the past decade.

While 67% of Maltese believe air quality in Malta has deteriorated, only 13% believe that air quality has improved while 13% believe it stayed the same. In all EU member states, 49% of all respondents believe that air quality has deteriorated in their country.

The perception that air quality in Malta has deteriorated in the past decade remains strong despite an actual decrease in emissions from power stations due to the shift from heavy fuel oil to natural gas. But the high percentage who believe that air quality has deteriorated may reflect the increase in traffic and dust from ongoing construction projects.

A breakdown of the national statistics shows that the most likely to believe that air quality has deteriorated in Malta are those with a higher education: 71% of those who continued their education beyond the age of 20 believe air quality in Malta deteriorated over the past 10 years. In contrast, among those who stopped their education at 15, the percentage falls to 59%.

Moreover, 78% of Maltese and 53% of all EU respondents believe asthma caused by air pollution is a serious problem in their country. 64% of Maltese also say the public authorities are not doing enough to improve air quality. And 74% think employers are not doing enough by offering or incentivising sustainable transport to workplaces.

But while 64% of all European believe energy companies are not doing enough to cut emissions, that percentage falls to 57% in Malta.

Only 30% said they are using public transport more – as one way to reduce air quality deterioration – in contrast to 41% of EU respondents. But 66% of Maltese said they have opted for more energy-efficient appliances in contrast to 40% of EU respondents.

Compared to 2019, when a similar survey was held, the percentage of Maltese who believe that air quality has deteriorated has actually decreased by 14 percentage points, while those who say it has improved increased by 6 points.