A relative majority of Maltese
people agrees with removing
prison sentences from the
law, for women prosecuted
for having an abortion, a Mal-
taToday survey found. The
findings show that 43% want
abortion to be depenalised for
women, while 35% want to
retain prison sentences and a
further 22% are unsure. The
results are consistent across
most demographic groups
except those aged over 65.
When only respondents with
an opinion on the topic are
counted, the majority for re-
moving prison sentences for
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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 AUGUST 2026
mt SURVEY
THE ALL-NEW B10
STARTING FROM €20,900*
(*2025 GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND SCRAPPAGE SCHEME INCLUDED.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY).
Abortion: Majority wants
prison removed for women
JAMES
DEBONO
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
What Malta thinks on
abortion depenalisation
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
Age
90
80
70
60
50
Overall
Q1: Do you think prison should be removed for women?
