EU survey: 42% expect income in Malta to rise in 2017

In the eurozone, the Maltese are the most optimistic with regard to the prospect of an increase in their income next year, according to a survey commissioned by the European Commission.

The survey shows 23% of Maltese have seen incomes increase from last year, 12% have seen it decrease while 59% saw no change.  

The Germans and Austrians were the most likely to see their income increase (30%) while only 3% of Greeks had the same experience.

But the Maltese are the most likely to expect their income to increase next year. 

While 42% of Maltese expect their income to rise next year, only 16% of fellow respondents in the entire eurozone have a similar expectation. The Irish – 33% expecting their income to increase next year – are the second most optimistic.

The survey shows that 50% of the Maltese have travelled at least once outside their country in the past year – compared to only 23% of Greeks, 30% of Spaniards and 36% of Italians. The most likely to travel abroad (88%) were the landlocked Luxembourgers, whose country borders France, Germany and Belgium.

62% want 1c and 2c coins abolished

The same survey shows that 62% of the Maltese want the 1 and 2 euro cent coins to be abolished and would agree to a mandatory up and down rounding of the final sum of purchase, depending on whether the sum is closer to 0 or to 5 cents.

Local support for abolishing the 1 and 2 euro cents has grown by nine points in the past two years.

Support for abolishing the 1 and 2 cents is strongest in Finland (85%) and weakest in Greece (52%). On average 62% of respondents in the euro area want the two coins abolished.

64% of the Maltese think that having the euro as their currency was good for the country. The Irish are the most likely to see the euro as a positive for their country (81%), followed by Luxembourgers (74%) the Austrians (67%), the Finns (66%) and the Germans and Maltese (64%).  The Cypriots and the Italians were the least likely to agree.