According to the annual World Happiness Report, Maltese people under 30 are less happy than their peers in the rest of the EU. What are the reasons for this?
Students at MCAST and the University of Malta, who spoke to Times of Malta said their generation has a long list of reasons to be unhappy but they also had a few suggestions on what needs to change.
Their concerns include rising cost of living, property prices, lack of professional opportunities, overpopulation and the state of the environment. University of Malta student Francesca Bianchi, 20, said: “The day-to-day routine feels exhausting. The cost of living is expensive – I’ve just paid €5 for a cup of coffee – a shot of espresso and some milk.”
Her friend Kat Bonello added: “The rising property prices are a problem. The wages do not correlate with the property boom. It’s like we can’t move out until we get married.”
The pair’s frustrations are hardly surprising. On a scale of one to 10, young people in Malta rated their happiness at 6.45, far behind top-ranking Lithuania at 7.76. The report ranked Malta 57th in the world for youth happiness, behind all EU member states.
Even though Maltese students receive a monthly stipend, financial stress was one of the most common complaints. Most students complained they are already struggling to find a work-life balance. They feel they need to find a job while being full-time students just to keep up with the rising cost of living.
Courtney, a 19-year-old Applied Science student at MCAST, works two part-time jobs while simultaneously trying to keep up good grades. But she has had enough and is planning on moving to Ireland once her course is finished.
Just like Courtney, many of her peers say they are losing a sense of hope and motivation for Malta’s future.
Nick Zammit, a 21-year-old psychology student and artist said: “It comes from a place of lack of stability economically. Are housing prices going to increase again, will I need to get into a relationship to take out a loan or will I have to stay with my parents until I am 30?”
He said that prospects for well-paying jobs in the country were confined to the gaming industry and his dream of working full-time as an artist was unrealistic in Malta.
Students also shared a lack of hope due to the state of the environment and the construction industry. Andrew Drago, a 21-year-old law student, said he was fearful that his generation would not inherit a healthy place to live in.
Although this was a popular point of view, others like Zach, a 17-year-old MCAST Sports student, disagreed. He insisted that Malta is too focused on the past and should embrace development. He said: “Everyone is amazed with Mercury Towers. More people are going to Mercury Towers than Wied iż-Żurrieq. You rarely see any people there.”
Almost all the students complained about vehicular traffic, saying they are exhausted from waiting so long on the bus or in their cars to travel to somewhere nearby.
“I’m always on the phone with the transport operator checking what time the bus will arrive… I know the number by heart,” one said.
Scott, a 19-year-old University of Malta Business and Marketing student said his biggest frustrations are traffic and overpopulation. He also felt there should be more of an emphasis on Maltese as a language within the University structure as well as in day-to-day life.
“If I prefer expressing myself in Maltese, why should people stop me,” he asked.
Nonetheless, he said he is generally happy and has learnt to live with his frustrations because to him there is nowhere better than Malta.
Although many of the 30 students who stopped to share their views said they have lost hope and planned to leave the country, others are determined to help fix it.
As for solutions, some suggested more affordable places for entertainment, better wages and more green areas.
“If our generation is unhappy then we must make the change,” said Kat. Francesca added: “This is your problem, and this is your home, so you have to commit to making it better.”