Watch: PN MP Warns Malta Facing A Demographic Collapse And Suggests Work-Life Balance To Blame
Malta has long had the lowest fertility rate in Europe and PN MP Albert Buttigieg warned that the country risks demographic collapse.
“I’m not being alarmist here,” Buttigieg told Lovin Malta. “People are living longer lives, which is a positive thing, but we have a problem in that not enough children are being born.”
“There are many reasons for this – financial, cultural and social alike. Families used to have ten children, then it went down to three, and now we’re at practically zero growth.”
Buttigieg suggested that the work-life balance could partially be blame for this worrying phenomenon.
“Working mothers are encountering serious problems,” he said. “The introduction of free childcare centres was a good step, but we must work more on the work-life balance.”
Recent Eurostat data shows that Malta’s fertility rate currently stands at 1.13 live births per woman, a sharp decline from the 1.42 registered in 2012 and significantly lower than the EU average of 1.53.
In an attempt to encourage more people to have babies, the government offers mothers of newborn children and adoptive parents a one-off €500 payment, plus a €1000 payment for those who have or adopt a second child.
However, the recent figures suggest more needs to be done to raise the national birth rate.
What should Malta do to increase its low birth rate?
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