Malta remains an overwhelmingly religious country with the first-ever survey of the state of the nation revealing that 93.5% of people in the country believe in God. However, the Curia’s figures show that just 36% of people go to church regularly.

The survey, unveiled this morning, obtained responses from 1,064 people – a representative sample of the Maltese population. It was launched back in March under the guidance of statistician Vincent Marmara and Lou Bondi under the auspices of President George Vella.

Around 3% identified as atheist, while around 3.5% said they did not know whether they believed in God.

It found that many Maltese, around 60%, still feel strongly about religion, with around 50% using their faith to form their opinions about certain issues. The trend, however, is changing among younger generations. 

The survey also found that religion tends to be more important for women (63.2%) than men (44.8%). 

Malta remains a staunchly Roman Catholic, with the faith even enshrined in the constitution.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna, who was present for the meeting, faced questions about the statistics, namely whether people were put out off by the church. 

In response, Scicluna said that 70% of people declared they went to mass once a month – adding that the main principle of Christianity was doing good by one’s neighbour. What concerns him, he said, was the tribalistic and confrontational manner in which people at times interact.