Maltese workers second most stressed in Europe – study

More than half of employees in Malta are experiencing stress, placing the country among the most pressured workforces in Europe, according to recent findings by Gallup.

Data shows that 57 per cent of workers in Malta report feeling stressed, slightly above the 56 per cent recorded in Cyprus and second only to Greece at 61 per cent. The figures place Malta ahead of other major European economies such as Italy (51 per cent) and Spain (47 per cent).

The findings come amid broader European data pointing to rising burnout and workplace pressure. While countries such as the Netherlands report significantly lower levels of physical exhaustion, southern European nations continue to show consistently higher stress indicators.

However, findings from the Eurofound survey point to a more nuanced picture for Malta. Maltese workers rank among those facing the highest levels of work intensity in Europe, with 54 per cent reporting that they work to tight deadlines most of the time and 50 per cent saying they operate at high speed for much of their working day.

Yet, this elevated pressure does not appear to translate into equally high levels of exhaustion. Data from the same survey indicates that Maltese employees are among the least emotionally exhausted in Europe, with only workers in the Netherlands reporting lower levels of emotional strain.

At the same time, 31 per cent of workers in Malta report feeling physically exhausted, broadly in line with the European average, suggesting that while work intensity is high, its impact is not disproportionately reflected in physical burnout.

Previous research by Gallup, including its State of the Global Workforce report, had already highlighted elevated stress levels among Maltese employees in 2022. It found that 56 per cent of workers in Malta reported feeling stressed for much of the previous day, marking one of the highest rates in Europe at the time.

That earlier data also painted a broader picture of workplace disengagement. Only around one in five employees in Malta were considered actively engaged at work, while the majority fell into the “quiet quitting” category, workers who fulfil their basic duties but lack emotional or psychological connection to their role. A further share were described as “actively disengaged”, indicating deeper dissatisfaction.

Gallup has consistently linked such patterns to both economic and organisational consequences. The firm estimates that low engagement and high stress levels can cost the global economy up to 9 per cent of GDP, driven by reduced productivity, higher absenteeism, and increased staff turnover.

The persistence of high stress levels in Malta suggests that underlying workplace challenges, ranging from management practices to workload pressures, remain largely unresolved. Previous findings also indicated that a notable share of Maltese workers experience negative emotions beyond stress, including anger and pessimism about job prospects.

At a European level, the data highlights structural differences in working conditions. While the standard five-day working week remains dominant across the EU, a significant proportion of workers in southern countries report longer working patterns and higher work intensity, factors often associated with increased burnout.

For Maltese businesses, the implications are twofold. Beyond employee wellbeing, sustained stress levels risk undermining productivity and long-term competitiveness, particularly in sectors already facing labour shortages and skills mismatches.