Social Media Use Surges As Fewer Maltese Getting News From Portals, Survey Finds
The latest edition of the Istat tan-Nazzjon survey shows a significant shift in how people in Malta access news and current affairs, with a continued decline in the use of online news portals and a growing dependence on social media platforms — particularly among younger respondents.
The annual survey, conducted by statistician and researcher Vince Marmarà, found that only 21.4% of people now say they get their news directly from online portals, down from 41.6% in 2021. The most commonly cited source of news remains television, used by 47.5% of respondents, although this figure has been steadily declining since 2017.
A separate question focusing on social media usage shows that Facebook and Instagram are the two most widely used platforms among the Maltese population. Facebook is used by 78.4% of respondents, while 45.4% use Instagram. TikTok is used by 31.2%, and 18.3% of people say they do not use any form of social media.
When looking specifically at how people access news via social media, 43.9% said they access news through links shared on Facebook — a sharp decline from 72% in 2017. Instagram and TikTok have also emerged as sources of news content, particularly among younger people who are less likely to access news through traditional outlets.
The data shows clear age-based differences in media habits. Among those aged 16 to 25, 95.3% reported using Facebook, 90.7% use Instagram, and 80.2% use TikTok. Within this age group, 45.3% access news through links on Facebook, another 45.3% do so via Instagram, and 19.8% get news content through TikTok. By contrast, only 22.1% of respondents in this cohort said they watch television for news, and just 1.2% read printed newspapers.
Older respondents rely more heavily on traditional media. Among those aged 66 and over, 78.4% said they watch television to keep up with current affairs, 32.6% listen to the radio, and 7.9% still read newspapers. However, only 0.3% of this age group said they access news via Instagram, while just 0.8% do so on TikTok.
Differences are also observed across other demographic categories. Among students, 97.9% said they use Facebook and the same proportion said they use Instagram, while 85.4% said they use TikTok. Meanwhile, 45.9% of pensioners reported not using any social media at all.
When respondents were asked whether the media reports on issues that concern them personally, just over half — 51.7% — said this was true “somewhat.” A further 21.8% said the media covers their concerns “a lot,” while 17.0% felt it does “not at all.” The remaining respondents were either unsure or did not provide an answer.
The findings suggest that while the Maltese population continues to consume news through a variety of channels, there is a clear generational divide in how that content is accessed. Social media is now the dominant gateway to news for younger audiences, while traditional media remains more prominent among older groups. At the same time, there is ongoing uncertainty about whether the media is adequately addressing the public’s concerns.
The Istat tan-Nazzjon survey is conducted annually and seeks to assess public sentiment across a range of social, cultural, and political issues. The 2025 edition draws on responses from a nationally representative sample covering all age groups and regions.
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