English Surpasses Maltese As The Most Spoken Language On Islands

Do you speak English or Maltese with your friends and family?a new survey by the NSO reveals that English has eclipsed Maltese as the most spoken language among locals.

The survey, which questioned 130,000 individuals aged 15-64 years, has not only uncovered an trends in languages spoken but also a wide range of skills that are most commonly found in our community.

All over Malta, an impressive 96% of people are comfortable with English, which is slightly more than the 90% who understand Maltese. Italian also had a stronger presence than anticipated, with a firm 62% understanding the language.

Interestingly, age appears to influence language preference, with older folks gravitating towards Italian and Arabic, while younger individuals lean towards French and German.

The survey dug into more than just language skills, exploring eight different categories of abilities. Malta showed impressive tech skills, with a solid 78.5% possessing computing skills. Communication and collaboration were next up at 70.6%, while care and assistance skills weren’t far behind at 65.6%.

Technical skills weren’t as common, particularly among women. Less than half of the men and a small 15% of women felt they had technical abilities. In contrast, women felt more confident when it came to care and assistance, with a strong 75% expressing certainty in these skills. In Gozo, people showed unique skills in agriculture and fishing.

Which language do you use most in your daily life?