Almost one in four Maltese people view the war in Ukraine as one of the main problems facing their country, a survey commissioned by Times of Malta has found.

It is second – alongside COVID-19 – only to the rising cost of living. A total of 19 per cent of respondents view the war as the biggest threat to Malta at present.

The cost of living was listed as the leading concern by 25.7 per cent of respondents.  

Fieldwork for the latest survey was carried out between March 5 and March 15 by market research firm Esprimi. In the last survey, carried out in February, rising prices had shot up to second place in the list of concerns, second only to the pressure on Malta’s healthcare system from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the latest round of the survey, the pandemic is a leading concern for 19 per cent of respondents, equalling the situation in Ukraine in joint second place.

Corruption, which last month was the third biggest priority for the country, is now in fourth place, having been replaced by traffic. 

Some 13 per cent think corruption is a leading concern, compared to 16 per cent who think congestion on Malta’s roads is the biggest problem facing the country. 

Some 6.7 per cent say salaries are the biggest problem, an issue indelibly tied to the rising cost of living but this is equal to the number of people who think the country has no problems whatsoever.  While the war may be viewed as a threat to the country, it is not seen as an issue that will impact the Maltese people personally. 

The cost of living was listed as the leading concern by 25.7 per cent of respondents. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

When asked what their biggest personal issue is, the most likely response is that they don’t have any problems at all (25 per cent).

This was followed by issues related to cost of living (16 per cent) and salaries (seven per cent). 

The youngest voters, 16- to 24-year-olds, are the least concerned with the war in Ukraine.

Only 12.5 per cent of this age group think the Russian invasion is the greatest threat to the country, ranking it the sixth biggest problem facing the island in their view.

This young age category are far more concerned with how far their money will stretch, with 22.7 per cent rating the cost of living as their main concern. 

The cost of living is viewed as the greatest threat to Malta by those aged in the lowest and highest age groups.

However, in the middle age categories of 35 to 54, the war is seen as the greatest threat.

Among those who claim to be voting Nationalist in the upcoming election, corruption is the greatest problem facing the country, with 53.3 per cent flagging the issue.

This is followed by the cost of living, at 26.7 per cent, and Malta’s greylisting by the FATF, at 26.7 per cent.

For those claiming to be PN voters, traffic is almost twice as big a concern as the war in Ukraine.

Some 20 per cent of those planning to vote PN say traffic is the greatest threat to Malta, compared to 13 per cent who say it is the situation in Ukraine.

Those planning to vote Labour in the upcoming election prioritise the same issues as the general group of survey respondents.

However, rather than cost of living topping Labour voters’ concerns, the main issue for them is the pandemic, with 25.9 per cent rating this first, followed by cost of living (24 per cent) and the war also at 24 per cent.