9 March 2007 Rating 85% No Comment  

We are one of the happiest states in Europe according to a recent Eurobarometer survey. 90% of Maltese people participating in the survey said that they were "happy", the European average stood at 87%. The happiest were the Danish people, with 97% of them stating that they were happy. The least happy Europeans were the Bulgarians, at 8%, followed by the Romanians at 9% and the Slovakians at 10%. 94% of Maltese people also felt that they enjoyed a good quality of life, with a further 87% of those surveyed claiming that they were satisfied with their standard of living. The European averages concerning the quality of life and standard of living were 83% and 86% respectively. Maltese confidence in the future of their pensions seemed lacking with only 42% feeling confident about the income they will receive once they retire. This trend mirrors that of the European average, with a similar percentage of people having doubts about the future of their pensions. The Maltese also felt a high sense of security with 72% of the respondents saying that they felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark, 70% of European people shared this outlook. The Dutch people felt the safest at 88% and the Lithuanians were the most wary of venturing outdoors at night, with only 45% of them saying they felt safe. All the Maltese surveyed said that family comes above everything else in their lives and gave the family 100% importance. Health, leisure time and friends followed closely at 99%, 90% and 88% respectively.