Maltese students are the least likely to study any form of science at the university, a recent study found.

Figures compiled by the European Commission’s surveying agency found that just eight per cent of Maltese had undertaken some form of post-secondary scientific studies last year, less than half the EU average.

Only one per cent of Maltese respondents had studied science at any post-secondary institutions – again, the lowest among the 28 member states.

The figures tally with a similar Eurobarometer study published last year, which revealed the majority of Maltese students found science unappealing.

The latest study, published on Monday, reported just a third of respondents answered questions on how science affected their daily lives. Similarly, only one in five commented on how scientific advancement would affect the environment over the next decade.

Maltese respondents were the most likely not to reply to a host of questions on the effect science would have on a number of different subjects, from life expectancy to job improvements.

Interestingly, Malta was on target when it came to the number of students studying science at school. Some 44 per cent said they had taken science-related subjects at secondary school, the same as the EU average.

Last year, the government pledged to invest more in the pursuit of scientific studies after Maltese students’ dismal showing in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study.

Malta ranked 40 out of 50 countries reviewed. A third of Maltese students had not even met the lowest international benchmark.

The average rate among the rest of the countries studied was eight per cent.

The poor showing came as no surprise because the study also found Maltese schools dedicated the least amount of time to science – 40 hours a week, less than half the time allocated in the rest of the countries under review.