Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1536441
church hierarchy is taking a more vocal stance—including through a pastoral letter read in Maltese churches on 31 May. Political and generational divides The survey results echo the po- litical dynamics of the divorce is- sue 14 years ago, when a majority of PN and elderly voters opposed its introduction, while a major- ity in the country—particularly among younger and more educat- ed voters—supported it. In fact, the present survey shows that just over 50% of current PN voters are against the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia, while on- ly 31% support it. In contrast, support among La- bour voters rises to 62%, while opposition to euthanasia drops to 14%. Among current non-voters, the result reflects the opinion of the general population, with 50% agreeing with voluntary euthana- sia and 31% opposed. Significantly, on this issue—as was the case with divorce—La- bour voters are more in sync with younger and more educated vot- ers. In fact, support for euthanasia increases to 64% in the 16-to-35 age bracket. But support declines with age to 57% among 36-to-50- year-olds, to 48.2% among those aged between 51 and 65, and to just 29% among the over-65s. Sig- nificantly, among the latter cate- gory, a relative majority of 45% oppose the reform. Support for euthanasia is also stronger among those who con- tinued their studies after second- ary school, peaking at 64% among those with post-secondary edu- cation and decreasing slightly to 56% among those with a tertiary education. In contrast, among those with only a secondary level of educa- tion, support falls to just 44%. These results pose a strategic problem for the PN, which must heed both its core voters—who are mostly against—and strategic demographics it cannot afford to ignore. The survey also shows greater opposition to euthanasia among women. While only 26% of men oppose euthanasia, the percentage rises to 32% among women. Gozo defies national trend Interestingly, as was the case in the divorce referendum in 2011 in which 70% of Gozitans voted against the introduction of di- vorce, the survey suggests that a relative majority (48%) in Gozo are opposed to euthanasia. However, the survey shows ma- jorities for euthanasia in all oth- er regions. This ranges from 58% in favour in the Northern region, which includes St Paul's Bay and Mosta, to 43% in the North Har- bour region, which includes urban centres like Sliema, Birkirkara, and Qormi. Support for euthanasia is also stronger in the Labour-lean- ing South Harbour region (53.5%) and South Eastern region (57%). The breakdown by region is on- ly indicative, since it is based on a smaller sample and has a higher margin of error. Respondents agree with a free vote for MPs Respondents were also asked to state their level of agreement, on a scale from 0 (maximum disa- greement) to 10 (maximum agree- ment), with four declarations re- lated to euthanasia. The declaration evoking the strongest agreement was the one stating that MPs should be grant- ed the freedom to vote according to their conscience on this issue, rather than along party lines. On average, respondents ex- pressed a level of agreement of 9.4 out of 10. The survey indicates near-universal agreement across all demographic groups, with 80% of all respondents stating maximum agreement. PL and PN voters gave a similar rating, indi- cating that voters of both parties expect a free vote on this issue. The survey also suggests limited support for extending euthanasia to a wider range of conditions. In fact, when faced with a declaration that euthanasia should cover de- generative diseases like ALS and Huntington's disease, and other painful conditions which do not result in death within six months, the level of agreement falls to an average of 4.2 out of 10. The survey also suggests that respondents are split on the argu- ment that greater government in- vestment in palliative care would render euthanasia superfluous. The average level of agreement in this case was 5. Respondents were less convinced by the declaration stating that the introduction of euthanasia would pose a greater risk to poorer indi- viduals, who may be more likely to resort to euthanasia because they feel they are a burden on their families. On this statement, the average level of agreement was 4.4. mt SURVEY SUNDAY • 15 JUNE 2025 | maltatoday 10 > FROM PREVIOUS PAGE All voters Age Gender Region Education Current¯voters 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0 Female Male 46.7% 31.8% 21.4% 51.6% 26.1% 22.2% Yes No Don't¯know 0 10 9.4 On the issue of euthanasia, Members of Parliament should be granted a free vote, allowing them to decide according to their conscience rather than follow party lines A person suffering from severe, persistent pain due to a serious illness — including degenerative conditions like ALS, Huntington's disease, or similar — should have the right to choose euthanasia, even if they are not expected to die within six months 0 10 4.2 0 10 5 If the government were to invest more in palliative care — the specialised support for people with serious and terminal illnesses — the need for euthanasia would not arise If euthanasia is legalised, there is a risk that it may disproportionately affect poorer individuals who feel they are a burden on their families Yes No Don't know 49.1 29.1 21.8 All voters Age Gender Region Education Current¯voters 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0 16-35 36-50 51-65 65+ 64% 20.6% 16.4% 57.3% 20.3% 22.5% 48.2% 28.8% 23.1% 28.7% 45.2% 17.3% Yes No Don't¯know 0 10 9.4 On the issue of euthanasia, Members of Parliament should be granted a free vote, allowing them to decide according to their conscience rather than follow party lines A person suffering from severe, persistent pain due to a serious illness — including degenerative conditions 0 10 5 If the government were to invest more in palliative care — the specialised support for people with serious and terminal illnesses — the need for euthanasia would not arise Yes No Don't know 49.1 29.1 21.8 the assistance of a doctor? All voters Age Gender Region Education Current¯voters 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0 16-35 36-50 51-65 65+ 64% 20.6% 16.4% 57.3% 20.3% 22.5% 48.2% 28.8% 23.1% 28.7% 45.2% 17.3% Yes No Don't¯know 0 10 9.4 On the issue of euthanasia, Members of Parliament should be granted a free vote, allowing them to decide according to their conscience rather than follow party lines A person suffering from severe, persistent pain due to 0 10 5 If the government were to invest more in palliative care — the specialised support for people with serious and terminal illnesses — the need for euthanasia would not arise Age Gender Region Education Current¯voters 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0 16-35 36-50 51-65 65+ 64% 20.6% 16.4% 57.3% 20.3% 22.5% 48.2% 28.8% 23.1% 28.7% 45.2% 17.3% Yes No Don't¯know 0 10 9.4 On the issue of euthanasia, Members of Parliament should be granted a free vote, allowing them to decide according to their conscience rather than follow party lines A person suffering from severe, persistent pain due to a serious illness — including degenerative conditions like ALS, Huntington's disease, or similar — should have the right to choose euthanasia, even if they are not expected to die within six months 0 10 4.2 0 10 5 If the government were to invest more in palliative care — the specialised support for people with serious and terminal illnesses — the need for euthanasia would not arise If euthanasia is legalised, there is a risk that it may disproportionately affect poorer individuals who feel Voting intention by gender Voting intention by age