A lot has been said about Malta’s birth rate, highlighting the importance of empowering women to reach their full potential without barriers. At the same time, men are encouraged to take a more active role in fatherhood, embracing their responsibilities beyond traditional expectations.
We must acknowledge that an increasing number of individuals are opting for a completely independent lifestyle, and more couples are also choosing to remain childless. There are also couples choosing to have just one child, balancing their desire for independence with family commitments.
These are personal choices that reflect modern freedoms, changing societal lifestyles and trends that are also seen in other countries around the world. These choices should be respected, and there should not be any stigma relating to people who opt to remain childless.
Naturally, this leads to, statistically, a lower birth rate across the population. From an economic perspective, Malta does not have a working force problem because we had a population increase of about 23% in the last 10 years; an increase that is considered as out of proportion.
My concern when it comes to the debate on birth rates lies with those who would like to have more children but do not.
Government one-time bonuses paid at the birth or adoption of a child and other social benefits are welcome and necessary to help parents cope with the surging expenses. And a recent proposal of an additional year of paid leave beyond maternity and parental leave proposed by the opposition is also commended, especially when one considers that the paternity leave of 10 days in Malta is the lowest across Europe.
While these are good measures, those families who would like to have two or more children face a bigger problem of finding the necessary space needed for a family of four to live in.
The average selling price of a small three-bedroom apartment is €350,000. Which young couple can afford that?- Matthew Agius
The rental prices for a small three-bedroom apartment start from €1,000 per month. Young couples cannot afford to pay such rent and feed two kids. Despite the Private Rent Housing Benefit Scheme that provides financial assistance for rent payments for families, such a measure is not sustainable because those families lack stability in the long term.
The average selling price of a small three-bedroom apartment in Malta is €350,000. Which young couple can afford that?
Policies should specifically support this group of people who desire more children. The government should offer specific housing help directly to families with two or more children, such as expanding the Equity Sharing scheme, currently limited to €250,000 on a home loan.
Two important measures proposed during Vision Circles held by Momentum are to keep young Maltese here instead of letting them leave for good and to encourage Maltese emigrants to return back home. This can be done through stronger fiscal benefits and attractive tax exemptions that, ultimately, will help them start their future families here.
Another equally important matter is the need to educate people about fertility. More people are choosing to delay having children to focus on their careers and achieve financial stability before starting a family. Momentum fully supports people in pursuing their career ambitions. However, our education system falls short of teaching young men and women about fertility and the importance of family planning.
There is a widespread lack of knowledge, with the common misconception that fertility issues only affect women. In reality, both men and women are equally likely to be infertile, and fertility problems increase with age.
While young people are encouraged to prioritise their careers, they are rarely informed about simple and affordable fertility tests that could help them plan for the future. Additionally, egg and sperm freezing is not covered by the public health system and is only available through expensive private fertility clinics. Many desperate couples are resorting to IVF as their late last measure to have a child, often because they are unaware of the challenges they are about to face.
Integrating fertility awareness into education and career planning, along with providing realistic financial and housing support, especially for those aspiring to have two children or more, will help create a society where family aspirations are not limited by economic constraints, enabling young people to plan their futures with confidence and stability.
Matthew Agius is a geophysicist and a member of the executive committee of Momentum.