Malta ranked 33rd in a study of youth representation in parliaments in 120 countries.

The study, conducted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, found that 2.9 per cent of the parliamentarians in the country are younger than 30.

The proportion of parliamentarians under the age of 30 exceeds 10 per cent in only four countries – Norway, Finland Ecuador and Sweden.

An overwhelming 39 countries, including the United States, Thailand and Azerbaijan, have no representation of parliamentarians under 30.

Malta ranked in the top four of a worldwide list of MPs under 40, with 20 per cent of the House of Representatives made up of people under that age. Comparatively, 41 per cent of Denmark’s parliament is made up of people under 40.

Thirty-seven per cent of Malta’s Members of Parliament are under 45, with the country ranking 41st out of 120 countries.

The study highlighted the need for greater youth representation in politics and in parliaments across the globe.

For the purposes of the study, the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians defined young MPs as those under 45, after recognising that some Cabinets across the globe have particularly stringent age requirements.

Gender differences are also apparent, the study said, finding that men outnumber female counterparts in all age groups.

“Younger women appear to be doubly disadvantaged in the opportunity to be elected,” it said.

Arguing that people under 30 years need to be in parliament for equal representation, the study insisted that it is important for the State to “engage the wider youth population.”

Few young people join political parties, possibly out of a sense of alienation from formal politics, the IPU speculated. The potential candidates’ ages might make them feel intimidated by their older counterparts, it insisted, saying that more must be done to promote youth activism within politics.