Malta continued to slide down in the democracy satisfaction index and now finds itself fifth from bottom among EU member states.  This worrying trend emerged from the latest instalment of a Eurofound study focusing on the quality of life. It transpires that in 2024 Malta registered an overall score of 3.7, down from 4 in 2023, 4.4 in 2022 and 5.1 in 2021.

Consequently, it now finds itself well below the EU average and only above Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria and Hungary. In contrast in 2021, Malta had an overall score of 5.1 and was in the top half of the table in ninth place.

In this survey respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction with how democracy works in their country. On average, satisfaction with democracy in Europe remained relatively stable at a low level from 2021 to 2024, with only minor fluctuations. The highest satisfaction was recorded in spring 2023, reaching 4.8, but by 2024, overall satisfaction had decreased to 4.5, close to the level observed during the pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 to 2022), regional satisfaction with democracy showed mixed trends, yet the EU average held steady at 4.6. Interestingly, satisfaction rose slightly after the pandemic, reaching 4.8 in 2023, but then dropped to 4.5 in 2024, which is even lower than during the pandemic. Notably, countries like Czechia and Poland experienced increases in satisfaction of 1.1 and 2.2 points, respectively, from 2021 to 2024. Conversely, satisfaction declined in Malta and Finland by 1.4 and 2.1, respectively, over the same period.

While the report did not enter into the merits behind the reasons behind Malta’s downward four-year trend, research shows that public satisfaction with democracy in Malta could be negatively influenced by economic concerns, mistrust in political institutions, corruption, the media and the country’s overall general direction.  

In June 2023, a Eurobarometer survey concluded that only 36% of the Maltese felt that the country was moving in the right direction. This trend persisted in 2024 though to a smaller degree.