LGBTI persons in Malta amongst least discriminated-against in EU, survey shows

LGBTI people in Malta have reported lower levels of discrimination than the EU average, a survey shows

The EU Fundamental Rights Agency's LGBTI survey, published today, indicates that while an average of 42% of LGBTI persons in the EU felt discriminated-against in at least one area of life in the year before the study, the figure for Malta stands at 33% - making it one of the best-performing countries.

The only countries which reported less discrimination for LGBTI people in at least one life area in the past year were Denmark, Finland and Czechia, with 31% each, and Sweden with 32%. Slovenia reported 33%.

When it came to discrimination at work, while 17% of LGBTI people in Malta said they had encountered issues, the EU-28 average was 21%.

The study, which was carried out online last year, is the largest-ever international survey of its kind, involving 30 countries - the then 28 EU members (including the UK), Serbia and North Macedonia.

It draws on the responses of 140,000 people, including 800 in Malta.

Malta peformed favourably in almost all of the surveys categories, incuding when it came to rates of harassment and violence.

While 27% in Malta said they were harassed the year before the survey, the EU average was 38%. Moreover, 6% had been attacked in the five years before the survey, compared to 11% in the EU.

Forty-seven percent of LGBTI people said they often or always avoided holding hands with their same-sex partner in Malta, while for the EU-28 the figure stood at 61%.

Malta also scored highly when it came to intolerance and prejudice levels, with 76% saying these problems decreased in their country in the last five years, compared to 40% for the EU-28.

Only 10% said prejudice and intolernce had risen, with the EU-28 average being 36%.

Malta retains first place in ILGA-Europe LGBTI rights survey

Meanwhile, Malta has maintained its top spot when it comes to the human rights which LGBTI people enjoy in Europe, according to a separate survey issued by ILGA-Europe.

Out of 49 European countries, Malta placed first with a score of 89%, ILGA's annual review of the human rights situation of LGBTI people from January to December 2019 - also published on Thursday - shows.

Belgium, the second-best performing country, achieved a significantly lower score than Malta, with 73%.

Malta performed especially well in the categories of equality and non-discrimination, family, hate crime and hate speech, legal gender recognition and bodily integrity, and civil society.

However, the country fared less positively in the category of LGBTI rights for asylum seekers.

(Source: ILGA-Europe)