Like the majority of European citizens, most of the Maltese taking part in the 65th Eurobarometer are worried about unemployment.
Inflation, the economic situation, immigration and pensions follow in that order in the list of the most commonly expressed worries.
Thirty-seven per cent of the Maltese - 10 per cent more than in last year's Eurobarometer - said the most important issue facing Malta was unemployment. The EU average of people worried about unemployment was 49 per cent, according to the survey results published on Thursday.
However, 20 per cent of the Maltese (+ eight per cent) believe that the employment situation will improve in the next 12 months, 42 per cent (-seven per cent) believe it will be worse and 26 per cent (+one per cent) think that it will be the same.
Rising prices and inflation, at 34 per cent (-five per cent), were the next most expressed concerns, followed by the economic situation, with 33 per cent (-11 per cent). Other notable worries were immigration, at 20 per cent (-13 per cent) and pensions, at 18 per cent (+three per cent).
This Eurobarometer showed that the number of Maltese who were very satisfied with their life this year dropped by six percentage points to 21 per cent. Fifty-six per cent, (+three per cent) said they were fairly satisfied, 20 per cent, (+two per cent) said they were not very satisfied and three per cent, (+one per cent) said they were not satisfied.
Asked about their expectations for the next year, 33 per cent, (+four per cent) said they were better, 13 per cent, (-seven per cent) said they were worse, 40 per cent, (-one per cent) said they were the same.
And when they were asked specifically about the economic situation in the next 12 months, 23 per cent of the Maltese (+10 per cent) said they believe it will improve, 40 per cent (-15 per cent) that it will be worse, and 22 per cent (+three per cent) that it will be the same.
When it came to the financial situation in their households for the next 12 months, 16 per cent of the Maltese (+eight per cent) said it would get better, 22 per cent (-10 per cent) that it would get worse and 56 per cent said it will be the same.
The number of Maltese trusting the EU has dropped by four percentage points to 53 per cent. The number of those who do not trust the Union increased by four per cent to 34 per cent.
Forty-four per cent (+one per cent) said they believed Malta's membership in the EU was a good thing placing Malta in the 21st position, 18 per cent (no change) said they believed it was a bad thing, while 36 per cent (+one per cent) said it was neither good nor bad.
At 77 per cent, the Irish were the most satisfied with membership, followed by the Dutch (74 per cent) and the Spaniards (72 per cent). Less satisfied than the Maltese were the British (42 per cent), Finns (39 per cent), Latvians (37 per cent) and Austrians (34 per cent).
Asked if, after taking everything into account, Malta had benefited from EU membership 50 per cent (-five per cent) said it did and 37 per cent (+seven per cent) said it did not.
The trust levels of the Maltese in EU institutions dropped by 11 per cent to 52 per cent in the European Parliament, by nine per cent to 51 per cent in the European Commission and by four per cent to 50 per cent in the European Council.
The survey in Malta was carried out between March 28 and April 21. Asked how much it cost, a spokesman said each question cost a total of '14,000 including the translation, filed studies and reports.
Ms Zammit is in Brussels courtesy of the Forum Malta fl-Ewropa.