Budget gets high rating for overall national impact during COVID-19

There are more people who believe Budget 2021 has a high positive impact on the country than on them personally, a MaltaToday survey shows.

When asked to indicate on a scale of one to 10 how much of a positive effect the budget has on their personal situation, 42.5% of people fall within the high category. A further 45.7% fall within the medium category and only 7.1% believe the budget has a low impact.

Responses are grouped into the three broad categories with those awarding the budget a score of between eight and 10, falling in the high category, and those awarding it between one and three, falling in the low category.

However, when the same question is asked about the budget’s impact on the country, 52.8% fall within the high category, followed by 33.9% in the medium and 7.7% in the low.

Edward Scicluna’s exercise is judged highly positive with absolute majorities among those aged between 51 and 65, and the elderly.

An absolute majority of people in these two age groups believe that the budget has a high positive impact on them personally and the country.

The survey shows that among those aged between 18 and 35, 56.4% give the budget a medium score when asked for its impact on them personally. The tide shifts towards the high category when asked about the impact on the country – 48.1% of the young believe the budget has a high positive impact.

Labour voters tend to have a more positive view of the budget than Nationalists.

A breakdown of results by 2017 voting patterns, shows that 71% of PL voters believe the budget has a high positive impact on them personally, a number that drops to 8.4% among PN voters.

Only 1.1% of PL voters give the budget a low score for its impact on their personal situation.

The bulk of PN voters (70.7%) give the budget a medium score on a personal level, while 15% award it a low score.

However, PN voters hold better views of the budget when asked to assess its impact on the country with 23% awarding it a high score, 50.7% a medium score and 19.6% a low score.

When asked to judge the budget’s impact on the country, 79% of PL voters award it a high score, while 18.6% give it a medium classification and none award a low score.