Construction is the last industry upon which to build Malta’s economy, according to respondents to the latest edition of the State of the Nation survey.

The survey asked respondents how important they viewed several industries – from financial services to manufacturing, film, and retail – to be in growing Malta’s economy, asking them to rate each industry out of a score of five.

Two of Malta’s primary industries, gaming and construction, came dead last, with construction scoring a lowly 2.97, comfortably below all other industries.

Another of Malta’s staple industries, tourism, topped the rankings with a score of over 4.5, with retail and financial services also scoring highly.  

The findings of the State of the Nation survey, now in its fourth edition, were presented during a conference at Verdala Palace on Thursday morning. The survey asked 1,064 people about their views on several issues, including religion, culture and politics.

The construction sector has long been a bone of contention, with many, including finance minister Clyde Caruana, warning that Malta must overhaul its economic model to move away from construction, or risk facing severe social and economic challenges.

Other cabinet members, including economy minister Silvio Schembri have been more cautious, saying that the country’s economic model just needs some tweaking.

Family finances looking up 

Nevertheless, most people appear to be satisfied with their economic situation. Four out of every five respondents say that their standard of living is within the norm, and the number of people who think that they will be better off in a year’s time is on the rise.

But people are increasingly feeling that their rights are not being adequately protected. Just over half of all respondents (52%) say that this is the case.

This is the lowest portion since the survey began, dropping from a high of 67% in 2022. A further third say that their rights could be better protected, while one in ten believe that their rights aren’t being protected at all.