Malta has the second-lowest expenditure on social protection among European member states, a Eurostat survey on EU government spending has found.

Social protection spending covers government expenditure on sickness and disability, old age, survivors, family and children, unemployment, housing and social exclusion.

Malta spent less than 12% of its GDP on social expenditure, on a par with Latvia, Romania, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. Ireland registered as the lowest spender, with only 9% of its GDP in spending going towards social programmes.

The EU average on social spending stood at 19.2% of the GDP. Finland had the highest social spend at 24.1% of its GDP, while France, Denmark, Italy and Austria carved out at least 20% of GDP to social spending.

In total, government expenditure across the EU amounted to 46.7% of GDP, which has decreased steadily in recent years. Total expenditure among EU governments stood at 49.7% in 2012.

The study, based on data gathered in 2018, showed that Malta spent a total of 36.6% of its GDP. Social protection registered as the highest expenditure at 10.9% of the GDP, followed by economic affairs at 5.5%, health at 5.3% and both education and public services seeing a spend of 5.2% of the GDP.

Data provided by the Family Ministry shows that while spending in relation to GDP had decreased, GDP growth over the past six years had outpaced increases in social spending. 

Spending on social protection went from €1,004,691 in 2012 to €1,349,818 in 2018, showing an average increase of spending by 5% annually.

“One has to note that while other countries may be spending relatively more, most of them, if not all of them, do not offer free healthcare, education and welfare services like Malta does. So indirectly, Malta’s share would be relatively higher if one had to deduct the co-share of citizens to access health, education and welfare services which share Maltese citizens do not pay,” a ministry spokesperson said.