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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 OCTOBER 2026 traffic, PN voters by population growth 50, to over 9% among those aged over 50. Among those aged 51 to 65 and over 65, traffic took the lead, at 31.9% and 28.4% respectively. Population growth stood at 29.8% among the 51 to 65 age group and 23% among pensioners. The results also differ by sex. Population growth led among wom- en, at 31.5%, while traffic was their second concern at 25.6%; construction was cited by 10%. Among men, traffic came first at 31.5%, ahead of population growth at 29.2%, while construction was mentioned by just 5%. Women (7%) were also more likely than men (4.4%) to express concern on the cost of living. Overall, the figures suggest that population growth reso- nates particularly strongly with younger respondents and women, while traffic is especially prominent among men and older age groups. Traffic leads in the West, construc- tion stands out in Gozo The regional breakdown of results reveals substantial differences. In the West district, traffic was the leading concern at 35.3%, compared with 29.5% for population growth. Traffic also led in the South Harbour at 32.5%, fol- lowed by population growth at 30%. In the South East, population growth remained narrowly ahead of traffic, at 31.7% and 29.1% respectively. In the North district, population growth was the dominant concern at 34%, compared with 23% for traffic. The North Harbour recorded a small- er gap, with population growth at 28.4% and traffic at 26%. Gozo presented a distinct pattern. Population growth led at 28.7%, fol- lowed by traffic at 26.1%, but construc- tion reached 16.4%, more than twice the national figure of 7.5%. The cost of living was also prominent in Gozo, at 10.4%, compared with 5.7% national- ly. Construction was cited by just 3.5% in the South Harbour and 4.9% in the West district. Corruption also varied geographically, cited by 8.7% in the North district and 6.7% in the North Harbour region, compared with just 2.4% in the South Harbour and 3.5% in the South East. The findings point to different local priorities, with traffic particularly prominent in the west and south of Malta and construction and living costs standing out in Gozo. Property prices, governance feature among particular groups Property prices were cited by just 1.7% of respondents nationally, but the issue was more prominent among younger people. Of those aged 16 to 35, 3.7% identified property prices as the coun- try's biggest problem. Regionally, the figure reached 3.9% in the North re- gion, compared with 1.6% in the North Harbour and 0.8% in the South East. Governance and institutions were cited by 2.1% nationally as a concern, rising to 5% among small party voters, 4.2% among respondents over 65, 3.5% in Gozo and 4.1% in the South East. Foreign This survey was conducted between Wednesday 22 September and 2 October. The survey was based on a representative sample of 835 respondents. 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 ±3.4%. 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, 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. Gozo Population growth Tra-c Construction Cost of Living Corruption Environment Foreign workers Governance Property Prices Discipline 28.7% 26.1% 16.4% 10.4% 0% 0% 3.2% 3.5% 0% 0% Demographic breakdown Top concerns by region: Gozo PL now PN now Non-voters now Small parties Population growth Tra-c Construction Cost of Living Corruption Environment Foreign workers Governance Property Prices Discipline 33.3% 29.1% 7.9% 5.7% 1.7% 2.6% 2.9% 0.9% 1.4% 2.2% This survey was conducted between Wednesday 22 September and 2 October. The survey was based on a representative sample of 835 respondents. 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 ±3.4%. 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, 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. 16-35 Population growth Tra-c Construction Cost of Living Corruption Environment Foreign workers Governance Property Prices Discipline 36.0% 29.5% 6.4% 6.8% 4.6% 1.6% 1.9% 1.6% 3.7% 0.9% Demographic breakdown Top concerns by age: 16-35

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