Almost half of Maltese adults want Malta to rely less on non-EU workers, but most of them would not accept the longer waits and higher prices in everyday services that could follow, the fourth release in the Esprimi Budget Barometer 2027 series has found.
The online survey of 400 Maltese adults aged 18 and over took place between 29th October and 2nd November 2026, and was weighted to the 2026 general election result.
Before any question about foreign workers, respondents were asked how acceptablethey would find a series of changes to everyday services.
Large majorities found them unacceptable, led by fewer places or longer waiting lists in care homes for elderly relatives (87 per cent), less frequent buses or more cancelled routes (86 per cent) and delays and higher costs in building and renovating homes (80 per cent).
Later in the survey, 44 per cent agreed that Malta should rely less on non-EU workers, even if this means longer waits and higher prices for some services.
Among those who agreed Malta should rely less on non-EU workers, 73 per cent found longer hospital waits for non-urgent appointments or procedures unacceptable, 84 per cent believed thatfewer or longer lists at care home places would be unacceptable, whilst 82 per cent considered less frequent or cancelled bus routes to be unacceptable.
Seven in ten consider the Budget’s new fees and restrictions for third-country nationals necessary: 46 per cent call them fair and necessary, and a further 25 per cent unfair but necessary.
Asked what was missing from the Budget, respondents most often named traffic and transport (18 per cent),followed by governance, justice and planning. Cost of living and tax, the environment and overdevelopment, fewer foreign workers,and support for single and childless people, were each mentioned by around one in ten.
“Many people hold two views at once: they want Malta to rely less on foreign workers, but they do not wantthe services those workers help run to get worse. We asked about the services first, before any mention offoreign workers, so that one answer did not shape the other,” said Kelly Mifsud Bonavia, Senior ResearchExecutive at Esprimi.
The final release in the series which looks at how third-country nationals see the Budget and will be published on Sunday.
Full results, charts and analysis for the second release are available on the Esprimi website.
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