Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546198
(40% versus 41%). On a regional level, the survey shows a rela- tive majority against depenal- isation in the Labour-leaning South Eastern and South Har- bour regions. Opinions are split right down the middle in the North Harbour region, while a majority for depenalisation is found in the Northern, West- ern and Gozo regions. These statistical breakdowns are on- ly indicative due to the higher margin of error for demograph- ic breakdowns resulting from the smaller sample size. Wafer-thin majority of Catholics want depenalisation The survey shows that a rel- ative majority of practising Catholics (41% versus 37%) favour depenalisation. More- over, among non-practising Catholics, support for depe- nalisation rises to 45%. The survey shows higher support for depenalisation among peo- ple who believe in God but be- long to no religion (84%) and among atheists (75%). Chris- tians belonging to non-Catho- lic denominations tend to be most opposed to depenalisa- tion (81%), while Muslims are equally split. Majority want to retain prison terms for doctors The survey shows that, over- all, while 38% want prison sen- tences for doctors assisting women in procuring an abor- tion removed, 41% want to re- tain these sanctions. A further 21% are undecided. But once again, opinions differ by age and education. For example, among people with a tertiary level of education, only 31% want to retain prison sanctions on doctors, while 50% favour depenalisation. Support for depenalisation drops to 41.5% among those with a post-secondary educa- tion, and to 31% among those with secondary and primary levels of education. Age is also a major factor, with support for depenalisa- tion for doctors dropping from 46% among 16- to 35-year-olds to 40% among 36- to 50-year- olds, 37% among 51- to 64-year-olds and 30% among pensioners. A breakdown by political opinion shows a relative ma- jority of non-voters in the past general election favouring de- penalisation for doctors (44% versus 33%). Support for depe- nalisation is also strong among small-party voters (47% versus 43%). But a relative majority of PN and PL voters want to retain these sanctions against doc- tors. Support for retaining prison sentences for doctors is slightly higher among PN vot- ers (44%) than PL voters (42%). Support for depenalisation for doctors is higher among men than women. The results show that 41% of males fa- vour depenalisation, while this drops to 35% among women. The latter statistic jars when compared to 47% of women who favour removing prison sentences for women charged with abortion. The survey shows a majori- ty of non-practising Catholics (47%) favouring depenalisa- tion for doctors compared to just 33.5% among practising Catholics. maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 AUGUST 2026 mt SURVEY This survey was conducted between 6 July and 22 July 2026. The survey is based on a representative sample of 742. The sampling approach followed a stratified random design, ensuring proportional representation across key demographic variables such as age, gender, and locality. At a 95% confidence level, the overall survey results carry a margin of error of ±3.6%. 0 16-35 36-50 51-65 65+ 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 Age 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 16-35 36-50 51-65 65+ Yes No Don't know Q2: Do you think prison should be removed for doctors? This survey was conducted between 6 July and 22 July 2026. The survey is based on a representative sample of 742. The sampling approach followed a stratified random design, ensuring proportional representation across key demographic variables such as age, gender, and locality. At a 95% confidence level, the overall survey results carry a margin of error of ±3.6%. It is important to note that while the overall sample provides robust national-level estimates, the margin of error increases when results are disaggregated into smaller strata or sub-groups (for example, by age, bracket, gender region, or voting intention). This occurs because smaller sample sizes within each subgroup carry higher statistical variability. Therefore, findings at sub-group level should be interpreted with caution and viewed as indicative trends rather than precise estimates. All data collection adhered to professional survey standards, with strict quality control applied at each stage to minimise potential sources of bias, including questionnaire design, fieldwork supervision, and data processing. MaltaToday is responsible for formulation of questions, timing of survey, data collection and analysis of the results. Mizzi Consultancy Ltd provided statistical support and software. 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 6 0 50 40 30 20 10 0 Northern North Harbour South Harbour South East West Gozo Yes No Don't know Q2: Based on religon THE ALL-NEW B10 STARTING FROM €20,900* (*2025 GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND SCRAPPAGE SCHEME INCLUDED. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY). Do you think prison should be removed for doctors? more liberal than Labourites