Morning Briefing
Malta must urgently address falling birth rate – report
Malta must take bold steps to address its falling birth rate and protect the long-term sustainability of healthcare and education, a KPMG economic report warns. With one of Europe’s lowest fertility rates, Malta faces a shrinking native workforce and an ageing population—posing a serious risk to its welfare system and increasing pressure on public finances. The report suggests pension reform may become necessary and urges Malta to adopt bold measures, including learning from international examples to reverse population decline. It also highlights the need for a clear strategy to attract and retain skilled foreign workers. (Times of Malta)
MEP Bajada gets approval for EU Water Resilience Strategy
Maltese MEP Thomas Bajada secured a major win in the European Parliament, with the approval of the Water Resilience Strategy—his first major report as rapporteur. Backed by an absolute majority, the strategy calls for urgent action to protect clean, safe water across Europe. Bajada’s report stresses that water scarcity, droughts, and floods are no longer future risks but daily realities. His strategy centres on safeguarding water security, public health, and food sustainability, while promoting EU-wide solidarity for regions hardest hit by water crises. The Labour Party welcomed this vote and said that the MEP reminded Parliament that Mediterranean countries, including Malta, have long lived with water scarcity and have had to innovate to make every drop count. Now, this experience is being shared at the European level to protect all communities”. (The Malta Independent)
Less traffic accidents, but more deaths reported
Malta recorded fewer road traffic accidents and injuries in early 2025, though fatalities rose, NSO data shows. From January to March, accidents dropped by 9% to 3,468, while casualties fell 12% to 297. The Northern Harbour district witnessed the most cases. Despite this decline, four people died—three more than in the same period last year. The victims included three male drivers and a female pedestrian.