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A Eurobarometer study among EU member states found there was a considerable increase in work participation by people between 55 and 64 in Malta over the 22 per cent registered in 2010.
However, Malta has one of the lowest figures of working older people across the bloc.
In a presentation to the House Social Affairs Committee, the National Coordinator of the Committee for the European Year on Active Ageing and solidarity between generations, James Carabott, said that by 2020, it would become automatic for elderly people to continue working above pensionable age for manpower reasons.
The study looked at formal employment among the elderly, healthy ageing, volunteering and solidarity between generations.
It reported that workers over 55 were satisfied at their workplace but added they would not aspire to continue working after they reached 57. Mr Carabott said there was a common trend among Mediterranean countries where many had the wrong perception that retirement was bliss.
According to Eurobarometer, 77 per cent of elderly people in Malta feel in good health, with 82 per cent of them living a full life in general and 76 per cent enjoying good living conditions.
Healthwise, Malta has the highest percentage of obese elderly people with 30 per cent in the 55 to 64-year age group. Malta also had the lowest number of elderly people engaged in physical activities.
Only 18 per cent of those between 55 and 64 and 17 per cent among those between 65 and 74 did at least 30 minutes of physical exercise daily.
However, stress experienced by the elderly was limited because family and social networks in Malta were still healthy.
Mr Carabott said the report showed Malta was doing well in prevention strategies to appease health problems. Malta had the third highest rate (after Denmark and France) of elderly people who were being vaccinated. Women over 65 had, on average, another 11 years free from any disability.
The expenditure on elderly care in Malta was on a par with other EU countries when taken in ratio with the GDP.
As regard volunteering activities by people aged between 50 and 62, Malta was placed at the fifth lowest position, with local respondents blaming lack of time. Mr Carabott attributed this to the strong link between retirement and family commitment, where grandparents take care of grandchildren but do not consider this as voluntary activity.
Malta had the third highest rating where respondents did not help anyone outside their household. This contrasted with 68 per cent of elderly still engaged in work, who said they would be ready to volunteer; 31 per cent were either planning or already engaged in voluntary work.
The Eurobarometer study showed 61 per cent of Maltese were not concerned about the ageing population. Mr Carabott said this was of concern because it might lead to ageism, where elderly people could be denied from certain services or activities. The poverty rate among the elderly in Malta was three per cent higher than the EU average and, at 22 per cent, was seven per cent higher than the island’s average poverty rate.
According to the report, 15 per cent take care of an older relative and 49 per cent of respondents feel the Government has to help these “informal carers” through financial remuneration; 42 per cent wanted flexible working hours; 31 per cent asked for credits; while 28 per cent wanted to be able to temporarily withdraw from their job.
Forty-five per cent of respondents wanted more safety on the roads for the elderly, and another 45 per cent wanted better facilities so older people could remain fit; 64 per cent were positive about setting up older persons’ special committees in local councils.