Ritratt: Partit LaburistaMalta’s low fertility rate, which is among the lowest in the European Union, cannot be ignored, Labour leader Robert Abela said on Sunday echoing concerns by finance minister Clyde Caruana on the same issue.
The prime minister said the country would eventually have to face the realities brought about by this trend.
On Sunday, Abela participated in a PL-organised discussion dubbed “Room4Ideas” which saw the participation of athlete Neil Agius and business woman Donna Cardona.
Abela acknowledged that many people, including himself and his wife, prioritised their careers after leaving university. He also argued that child-rearing should be a joint responsibility.
He then referred to Caruana’s proposal of a new tax rate that incentives parents to have a second child. He said that this was one of a number of possible solutions, adding that he was not of the opinion that it was just a matter of financial incentives.
Last week, Caruana told parliament that urgent, drastic and expensive action is needed to reverse this trend.
The Malta Women’s Lobby called for a dedicated task force aimed to study Malta’s low fertility rate.
The lobby issued a strong response to Caruana’s proposal to combat Malta’s plummeting fertility rate through tax incentives for parents with multiple children, arguing that financial measures alone won’t solve the nation’s demographic crisis.
The intervention comes as Malta grapples with one of Europe’s lowest fertility rates, standing at just 1.15 births per woman in 2022. Recent projections shared by Caruana paint a stark picture: Malta’s native population of 406,000 could shrink to 240,000 within 50 years, with 40% being elderly.
While Caruana’s parliamentary address highlighted household income as a crucial factor – noting that families with two children typically earn €58,500 compared to €50,812 for single-child households – the MWL argues this focus on finances overlooks crucial social factors.
“Raising children involves more than just financial expenditures,” an MWL spokesperson said. “It places a considerable physical, emotional, and mental burden on parents, particularly mothers.” The organisation emphasised that tax rebates without expanded family leave policies and flexible work arrangements would fail to achieve meaningful impact.
On Sunday, Abela also questioned whether students’ current educational curriculum is sufficient to meet the needs of today, and noted that many children only practise physical activity once a week in school. The Labour leader underlined that students should do physical activity everyday.
He also touched on people’s nutritional habits and said there was not enough awareness on the topic. Abela then touched upon school homework and said that the amount of homework given leave students without any time to do any extra-curricular and physical activities.
