Over one in every four people say they feel “very uncomfortable” with Malta’s multiculturalism, according to the latest edition of the State of the Nation survey, presented on Friday.

A further 10% say they are uncomfortable, with a third saying that they are undecided about the matter.

The fourth edition of the annual survey, commissioned by the Office of the President, was presented during a conference held at Verdala Palace on Thursday morning.

The survey found that the Maltese are less comfortable with multiculturalism than they were in most previous years. The only time a lower level of comfort was recorded was in the survey’s first edition, in 2021.

People across all age groups tend to feel the same way about the issue, although people between the ages of 26 and 35 tended to view multiculturalism slightly more favourably.

Does Malta need foreign workers?

The survey’s respondents were generally ambivalent about Malta’s economic model, evenly split over whether Malta needs foreign workers to grow its economy and provide essential services, or whether importing foreign labour needs to slow down.

But most (55%) agreed that importing foreign workers to carry out jobs the Maltese don’t want to do is a good solution. Higher-income earners in particular, were overwhelmingly in favour of this solution.

Respondents with higher incomes, as well as those with higher education levels, are generally more inclined to feel that foreign workers are important to Malta’s economy.

The survey reflects Malta’s mixed reaction to the country’s changing demographics, with 2021’s census finding that more than one in every five people living in Malta is not Maltese.

The survey’s author, Vince Marmará, said the findings indicate that people are worried and confused, caught between what they want and what they feel the country's economy needs.