Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1464183
NEWS 9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 APRIL 2022 JAMES DEBONO ONE in four Maltese peo- ple will identify themselves as working class, according to a survey carried out by the Eurobarometer data collection service. Conversely, just one in 20 in Malta will identify as upper-middle, but none associate with the high- er or upper class, a term more akin for those of aristocratic lineage. In contrast, 56% identi- fy as middle class, while 14% see themselves as lower-middle class, a sec- tion that may be equated to the petit-bourgeoisie or self-employed who while avoiding wage-labour are still not as financially se- cure as middle-class em- ployees. The question on class belonging, inserted in the standard Eurobarometer survey, is more an indi- cation of how respond- ents in different countries identify themselves rel- atively to others within their national reality, than a reflection of income differences. It could also reflect aspiration rather than actual living stand- ards. Moreover, in an indica- tion that the pandemic and higher inflation may have reinforced class-con- sciousness in Malta, the percentage of those iden- tifying with the working class has increased by 11 points over Spring 2021, while those identifying with lower middle-class have also increased by 2 points. In contrast the percent- age of those who feel that they belong to the middle class has decreased by 13 points. The percentage of those identifying with up- per-middle class has re- mained stable at a low 5%. The survey suggests that the class divide in Malta mirrors that of the Euro- pean mainstream, with the only significant differ- ence being that less peo- ple in Malta identify with the upper-middle class. Significantly, the survey exposes a divide between countries like the Neth- erlands, Luxembourg and Scandinavian nations with a larger portion of 'up- per-middle class' people and those where this class is nearly absent. This suggests that social mobility is higher in these affluent countries, some of which also have a high- er level of taxation and a strong welfare system. The Netherlands is the only EU country where a significant portion see themselves as belonging to the higher class (4%). In all other EU countries, less than 2% feel likewise. On the other hand, working-class conscious- ness is strongest in the Iberian peninsula and some Balkan countries. In an indication that class identification is also based on status and not just in- come, the working-class component is smaller in countries like Italy, which has experienced econom- ic difficulties in the past decade. While 11% of Ital- ians identify themselves as working-class, 61% see themselves as middle class. Surprisingly despite fac- ing economic collapse, the class divide in Greece is similar to that in Mal- ta, with the only differ- ence being that only 2% of Greeks identify with the upper-middle class. In contrast, Ireland, which has largely recovered from the downturn in 2009, has seen the working class component reach 32% in the latest survey. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Eurobarometer survey registers 11-point increase in Maltese respondents identifying themselves as working class compared to previous year 56% of Maltese see themselves as 'middle class' The class divide in Malta mirrors that of the European mainstream, the only significant difference being that less people in identify with the upper-middle class