Two years into a crippling global pandemic and it comes as little surprise that public health tops Malta’s list of concerns, according to a survey commissioned by Times of Malta. 

Just shy of two-thirds of respondents, 62 per cent, said the health system is the main problem. This was followed by corruption, with 22 per cent reckoning it is the greatest threat facing the country. 

Times of Malta commissioned independent market research firm Esprimi to conduct the survey. The fieldwork ran between July 17 and 21 and has a margin of error of four per cent.

The survey is based on data collected from 600 respondents, aged 16 and over. They answered questions on the greatest challenges facing the country today.

At 16 per cent, Malta being placed on the grey list of untrustworthy financial jurisdictions came in at third place on the public’s concerns.

A tenth of respondents said the economy is the island’s main problem, while nine per cent said it is the environment in the face of rampant development. 

Traffic congestion, a lack of parking and problems with public transport is the leading concern for six per cent of respondents.

This was closely followed by those who say the greatest threat to Malta is the Labour Party’s unassailable popularity. Some six per cent of respondents said the possibility of Malta turning into a one-party state is the main problem. 

The same amount argued that job creation and security is in fact the main problem for the country.

All the way at the bottom of the list 0.5 per cent said “general ignorance” is the major difficulty the island is faced with. 

Who can solve Malta's problems?

A third of respondents think Labour is the best suited to solve the major issues facing the country, three times more than those who believe the PN has the right answers to the toughest questions. 

In all, 32.7 per cent said the Labour Party is the best suited political party to address the current situation.

In the survey, 30.6 per cent said none of the country’s political parties can solve the problems and a fifth, 20.6 per cent, say they don’t know.

Just 9.4 per cent feel the Nationalist Party can solve the main challenges the country is facing at the moment. 

Those who refused to reply in the survey accounted for 6.3 per cent, while 0.3 per cent said that alternative party ADPD could come up with the best solutions to the country’s problems.