Malta’s economic sentiment indicator, ESI, last month stood at 110.9, about 11 per cent above the average.

It was the second-highest ESI figure among eurozone countries, the government said in a statement.

The highest level of confidence was reported from the services sector. “The majority of those providing a service in Malta insisted their situation had improved and they have good aspirations for the coming months and as a result, they will be employing more people.”

Those in retail also reported a positive sentiment, with retailers reporting improved economic activity in the last three months of the year.

The government added that similar results were also observed in the industry and construction sectors.

Families in Malta were among the few among Europeans to report improvements in their financial situation, the government said.

“These results serve as confirmation that economic growth is being felt by both businesses and families and the government will continue to work on measures to build on this.”

Amongst the largest euro-area economies, the ESI recovered in Spain, increased slightly in Italy and remained broadly unchanged in Germany and France, the European Commission Business and Consumer survey results show.