One person even mentioned feeling unsafe and uncomfortable using the facility. Another reviewer pointed out issues like rusty locks and dirty seats but still found it usable, giving it a two-star rating. On the other hand, one visitor rated it five stars, simply stating that it “saved my life.”

This ranking was released by Showers to You, a UK bathroom supplier, just before World Toilet Day on 19th November. While many observe International Men’s Day on this date, the United Nations also recognises World Toilet Day to draw attention to the global sanitation crisis. Shockingly, over four billion people worldwide lack access to safe sanitation.

UK supplier’s Showers To You, analysed more than 8,000 online reviews of European toilets, specifically looking at the number of negative comments in each city. For Malta, they examined 53 reviews of Valletta’s public toilets. About one in every eight reviews described them as dirty, resulting in an average rating of 3.16 out of 5 stars.

In comparison, Riga and Madrid had even worse rankings for their public bathrooms, with 80 and 525 reviews respectively.

The bathroom suppliers also noted that in Malta, due to the dry climate, water conservation is a significant concern, leading to many toilets being equipped with dual-flush systems to save water. This may have a slight impact on cleanliness due to lower-volume flushes for liquid waste.

What do you make of this statistic?