The popularity of social networks among Maltese young adults grew by 10 percentage points in a year as internet usage on the island remains among the highest within the European Union.

Data just issued by the EU’s statistics office shows that, last year, 94 per cent of the population aged between 25 and 34 years was active on social networks, up from 84 per cent in 2016 and notably higher than the EU average of 78 per cent.

The study analysed social network participation by looking at how many people created a profile, posted messages and made “other contributions” on Facebook, Twitter and similar websites.

Usage among those aged between 16 and 29 years was even higher: 98 per cent of the population in this age group. Again, it was the highest rate across the EU and over 20 percentage points above the European average.

Social network participation among the older generations drops to 37 per cent but this too is among the highest when compared to other member states. It is the fifth highest rate across the EU.

Eighteen per cent of the population aged between 25 and 54 years took part in such online activities, the second highest in Europe. The EU average stood at 10 per cent.