92% of Maltese think corruption is widespread

57% of Maltese think that corruption in their country is very widespread, while 35% think it is fairly widespread. 

Only 5% think it is rare or fairly rare, while 3% don’t know.

Compared to 2022, the proportion of respondents who think corruption is very or fairly widespread in Malta has increased by 13 percentage points, which represents the biggest rise registered in any EU member state.

But while the percentage who think corruption is very widespread has increased by 21 points, those who believe it is fairly widespread has decreased by 8 points.

This emerges from a Eurobarometer survey which was published today. The survey was conducted April and May.

Among the EU member states, Malta is only surpassed by Greece (97%), Croatia (96%) and Portugal (93%) and is at level with Cyprus (92%) when it comes to the perception that corruption is widespread. 

Across the EU 70% of all citizens think that corruption is widespread in their country.

Compared to 2022 the perception that corruption is widespread in their country has increased in 14 countries, with the biggest rise seen in Malta (92%, +13%), Romania (79%, +7), and Belgium (62%, +6).

The Maltese are also the most likely in Europe that that corruption is widespread in the issuing building permits. 78% of Maltese think that there is corruption in the planning process, an increase of 24% over last year.

Malta was also one of 14 EU Member States where respondents rank political parties as the area where the giving and taking of bribes and the abuse of power for personal gain is the most widespread. The largest proportion of respondents who think so was observed in Spain (85%, Malta (79%), and France (71%).

The survey also shows that the percentage of Maltese who are affected by corruption has increased from last year by 29 percentage points.

Compared to 2022, in 11 countries, respondents are now more likely to say they are personally affected by corruption, with the biggest increases seen in Malta (63%, +29), Portugal (54%, +10), and Estonia (18%, +6).

In every EU Member State, a majority agrees that too-close links between business and politics in their country lead to corruption. At least nine in ten in Malta and Greece (both 91%) and Cyprus (90%) agree this is the case, while across the EU there are 21 countries where at least seven in ten think this way. Denmark is the only country where fewer than half agree, although agreement remains the majority view (49% vs. 41% disagree).

Only 15% of Maltese think that are enough successful prosecutions in their country to deter people from corrupt practices, down from 30% last year.

Malta also reports a substantial 24-point decrease in respondents’ belief in their national government’s efforts to combat corruption registered in Malta. Only 24% believe that there is enough will on the government’s part to fight corruption.

Despite the perception that corruption is widespread the Maltese are the second most likely in Europe to think that corruption is unacceptable.

Close to two thirds (64%) of surveyed Europeans think corruption is unacceptable.

In twenty EU Member States, more than half share this view, with the highest percentages found in Luxembourg (82%), Malta (81%), and Finland (80%). Conversely, less than four in ten respondents agree with this position in Slovakia (38%) and Croatia (39%).