Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546198
women increases to 55%. However, on the flipside, a wafer-thin majority favour re- taining existing prison penalties against doctors performing an abortion. While 38% want to re- move prison sen- tences for doc- tors who help a woman procure an abortion, 41% want to retain these sanctions. In this case, however, the dif- ference between the two camps is within the survey's margin of error (+/-3.6 percentage points). The law which dates back to 1854, currently foresees a maximum penalty of three years in prison for a woman who procures her own miscar- riage or consents to an abor- tion. For medical professionals who prescribe or administer means to procure a miscarriage, the maximum penalty is four years in prison, plus a perma- nent ban from practising their profession. In the past two years, two women are known to have been given suspended prison sen- tences in Malta for undergoing an abortion, though one convic- tion was subsequently annulled on appeal. Both cases involved women who sought emergen- cy medical care at Mater Dei Hospital for complications and were subsequently reported to the police by healthcare profes- sionals. Prime Minister Robert Abela has committed himself to recommending a presidential pardon to change any prison sentence into a non-custodial penalty if a woman petitions the Cabinet. A previous survey conducted by MaltaToday in 2022 had al- ready shown that, on a personal level, 53.3% of people disagreed that women who terminate their pregnancy should be liable to a prison sentence. But in the latest survey, the question was formulated differ- ently. For the first time, respondents were asked whether the law should be changed to exclude prison sentences from the abortion law. This does not mean that all those who support removing prison sentences for abortion from the statute book want to decriminalise or legalise abor- tion. But the survey suggests widespread support, especially among younger and more edu- cated respondents, for liberalis- ing Malta's draconian abortion laws. Significantly, in the case of prosecutions of women, a rela- tive majority of both PN and PL voters favour depenalisation. This suggests that opinions on the topic are mostly determined by age and level of education rather than political beliefs. PN voters slightly more liberal than PL voters Surprisingly, the survey shows that 42.5% of PN voters favour depenalising abortion for wom- en, while 35% favour retain- ing this penalty. PL voters are slightly more likely to support prison terms for women, with 41% favouring depenalisation and 38% against. This comes as a surprise con- sidering the conservative roots of the PN, whose statute refers to abortion by stating that the party is committed to protect- ing "everyone's health and de- velopment from conception to the last breath." This could also reflect the changing composition of the PN's electoral base after the last general election, where the party significantly narrowed the gap with the incumbent PL. On the other hand, the PL in- cludes a strong segment (38%) against removing prison sen- tences for women, in a sign of dissonance between the party's progressive credentials and the opinions of a significant chunk of its voters. Significantly, views supporting depenalisation are stronger among non-voters (50%) and voters for small par- ties (48%). A question of education and age The survey shows a stronger majority in favour of depenalis- ing abortion among under-50s, women and tertiary-educat- ed respondents. In fact, the strongest majority is registered among the university-educated, among whom 59% oppose pris- on sentences for women facing abortion charges. Only 26% support prison sentences. Sup- port for depenalisation drops to 45.5% among those with a post-secondary level of educa- tion, to 38% among those with a secondary level of education and to 24% among those with a primary level of education. Support for depenalisation also tends to drop with age. While among under-50s just under half support depenalisation, support drops to 43% among 51- to 64-year-olds and to just 32% among those over 65. Women in general are also more likely to support depenal- isation. While a relative majori- ty of 47% versus 30% of women support depenalisation, males are evenly split on the issue Nationalist voters slightly more THE ALL-NEW B10 STARTING FROM €20,900* (*2025 GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND SCRAPPAGE SCHEME INCLUDED. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY). mt SURVEY SUNDAY • 16 AUGUST 2026 | maltatoday This survey was conducted between 6 July and 22 July 2026. The survey is based on a Yes No Don't know Region 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Northern North Harbour South Harbour South East West Gozo Yes No Don't know Maltese law currently sets a prison sentence of 18 months to four years for a doctor who is found guilty of assisting a woman to have an abortion. Do you think this prison sentence should be removed? Yes No Don't know 38 41.3 20.7 Overall Region 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Northern North Harbour South Harbour South East West Gozo Yes No Don't know Q1: Based on religon < FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Do you think prison should be removed for women? Maltese law currently sets a prison sentence of 18 months to three years for a woman found guilty of having an abortion. Do you think this prison sentence should be removed? Yes No Don't know 43.2 35.2 21.6 Past vote (2026) 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 PL PN Non Voters Small parties Yes No Don't know Maltese law currently sets a prison sentence of 18 months to four years for a doctor who is found guilty of assisting a woman to have an abortion. Do you think this prison sentence should be removed? Yes No Don't know 38 41.3 20.7 Overall Overall Past vote (2026) 90 80 70 60 50 Q1: Based on voting record