Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1068299
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 JANUARY 2019 SURVEY In 2019 • What people are thinking THERE is a prevailing sense of positivity in the country with three quarters of people polled by MaltaToday expecting 2019 to be a better year. The survey found that 75.8% of people expected the new year to be better than 2018, with the feel-good factor cutting across all age groups and political alle- giance. Only 3.4% did not expect a better year, with 20.9% unsure how 2019 will pan out. The positive outlook is even higher than last year's, when a similar MaltaToday survey found that 66.4% of people expected 2018 to be better than 2017. Women were slightly more pos- itive than men, while the highest level of positivity was registered among those aged between 18 and 35 (75.9%). The elderly are the least likely to have a positive outlook and yet 57.8% expect 2019 to be a better year than 2018. Positivity was highest in the Northern Harbour and Southern Harbour regions with 75.3% and 71.6% of people, respectively say- ing they expect the new year to be better. In Gozo, 66.4% expect 2019 to be better. People who voted for the La- bour Party in the last election are overwhelmingly positive about the new year – 84.4% expect 2019 to be better – but they are also joined by an absolute ma- jority of Nationalist Party voters who likewise believe 2019 will be better. The survey found that 57.3% of PN voters expect a better year, while 7.4% have no such hope. The rest are unsure how 2019 will pan out. Only 1.9% of those who voted PL have a bleak outlook for 2019. Personal finances The disparity along political lines was bigger when people were asked whether they expect- ed their personal financial situa- tion to be better in 2019. Overall, 60.7% of people believe their personal financial situation will be better in 2019 when com- pared to the year that has just ended with 10.3% having a nega- tive outlook and 29% unsure of how things will turn out. But when fragmented by politi- cal allegiance, people who voted PL in the last election are over- whelmingly more positive than PN voters. The survey found that 71.6% of PL voters expect their personal finances to improve in 2019 as opposed to the 36.2% of PN vot- ers, who believe likewise. Almost a quarter of PL voters (23.7%) are unsure whether their personal finances will be better in 2019 and 4.7% believe they will not be better off. Among PN voters the level of pessimism is much higher. While 21.3% do not believe, their finances will improve, 42.5% are unsure of how the year will turn out. Men have a slightly higher ex- pectation than women that their finances will be better in 2019. While 55.3% of men believe, their personal financial situation will improve, the equivalent sen- timent was expressed by 52.3% of women. Those aged between 18 and 35 have the highest expectation with 62.7% believing their personal fi- nancial situation will be better. Those having the least positive outlook were aged between 51 and 65 with 46.4% expecting bet- ter personal finances and 44.2% unsure of how 2019 will pan out. The Northern region is the only one in which the expectation that personal finances will be better does not enjoy an absolute majority. Holiday plans 2019 A holiday abroad appears to be on the table for 54.1% of those aged between 18 and 35 this year, according to a MaltaToday sur- vey. In complete contrast, the co- hort of those aged 65 and over only sees 17.9% planning an overseas holiday in 2019. Almost two thirds of the elderly (71.5%) are not planning a holi- day trip abroad in the coming 12 months. The survey found that overall, 47.9% of people are planning to go on holiday abroad this year, a drop from the 52.3%, who had signalled plans for an overseas holiday in last year's survey. The latest findings show that 40.2% are not planning an over- seas holiday in 2019, while 11.9% are unsure what to do. Going abroad appears to be cor- related with age: The older peo- ple get, the less they go abroad. But there appears to be no dis- tinction along political lines with 47.5% of Labour Party voters and 44.4% of Nationalist Party voters planning an overseas holiday for 2019. Similarly, there are 40.5% of PL voters and 42.5% of PN vot- ers who will not holiday abroad this year. Methodology The survey was carried out between Thursday 6 December and Friday 14 December. 597 re- spondents opted to complete the survey. Stratified random sam- pling based on gender, region and age was used to replicate the Maltese demographics. The esti- mated margin of error is 4.2% for a confidence interval of 95%. There is wide expectation that the new year will be better for more people, a MaltaToday survey finds. Kurt Sansone reports. Do you expect 2019 to be a better than 2018 for you? Do you expect better finances in 2019 than in 2018?