More than one in every four Maltese households have problems with pollution, grime or noise, an EU-wide survey has found.

The European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions Survey paints a picture of the biggest problems facing Maltese homeowners, with the survey finding that 40 per cent of all local households reported at least one of the six key problems highlighted by respondents.

The survey found that:

• Pollution, grime and other environmental problems are the most common problem for Maltese households, with 26.8 per cent reporting them as a concern

• Noisy neighbours and street-level noise is not far behind, with 25.3 per cent mentioning it as problem

• One in every ten homes have trouble with neighbourhood crime, vandalism and violence

• A further 10 per cent say they struggle with a leaky roof, damp or rotting window frames or doors

• 7.5 per cent of households struggle with not enough light in their homes

Despite the prevalence of problems, the EU survey suggests things are gradually getting better – although 40 per cent of households reported at least one such problem in 2017, the previous year 44 per cent had.

READ: Malta's air pollution is among the worst in Europe

Life in Gozo hits the sweet spot 

The survey suggests that living in Gozo and Comino is the surest way to ensure a stress-free life at home, with just 28.4 per cent of households in the district reporting one of the aforementioned problems.

Conversely, people living in the Northern Harbour district – which stretches from Ħamrun to Birkirkara, Sliema and Pembroke – are arguably the least happy with their household lot, with almost 50 per cent reporting problems.

Judging by the survey results, 2017 was a great year to live in Għargħur, Mellieħa, Mġarr, Mosta, Naxxar and St Paul’s Bay: the percentage of households reporting problems in the Northern District tumbled from more than 47 per cent in 2016 to just over 32 per cent the subsequent year – a decline of 15 percentage points.