More than one in four people in Malta spend at least eight-and-a-half hours sitting on a typical day, more than double the EU average, according to a new Eurobarometer survey.
The latest Special Eurobarometer on Sport and Physical Activity found that 26% of Maltese respondents spend eight hours and 30 minutes or more sitting each day, compared with 12% across the EU. Meanwhile, just 11% of people in Malta said they sit for less than two-and-a-half hours on a usual day.
The figures come despite Malta being broadly in line with the EU when it comes to exercising or playing sport.
According to the survey, 48% of people in Malta exercise or play sport almost daily or several times a week, made up of 14% who do so almost every day and 34% several times a week.
Across the EU, the figure is 47%, meaning Malta is actually slightly above the EU average on this measure.
However, 35% of Maltese respondents said they never exercise or play sport, compared with 39% across the EU.
The bigger difference emerges when looking at physical activity outside sport, such as walking or cycling for transport, dancing, gardening or other everyday activities.
In Malta, 60% said they engage in this type of activity almost daily or several times a week, compared with 71% across the EU. Malta also has a higher proportion of those who never engage in non-sport physical activity.
Walking shows a similar gap, with 67% of Maltese respondents saying they walk for at least 10 minutes on four to seven days a week, compared with 72% across the EU.
So why aren’t people exercising more?
For Maltese respondents who already engage in exercise, sport or other physical activity, lack of time was by far the most commonly cited barrier, with 56% selecting it.
Other reasons included lack of motivation or interest (18%), health problems or injury (14%) and fear of injury (14%). Meanwhile, 10% said exercise or physical activity was too expensive.
At EU level, lack of time was also the most commonly cited barrier, although it was selected by a smaller 37% of respondents. Lack of motivation or interest followed at 26%.
The survey also asked whether sport plays an important role in people’s lives. In Malta, 23% said it definitely does, while a further 32% said it does to some extent. Another 26% said it does not really play an important role, while 18% said it does not play an important role at all.
The survey was carried out between 9th April and 3rd May of this year in Malta, with 505 people interviewed. Across the EU member states, 26,421 interviews were conducted between 9th April and 4th May.
The figures therefore paint a slightly nuanced picture: while organised exercise and sport participation is broadly similar to the EU average, Malta records substantially lower levels of everyday physical activity and considerably more time spent sitting.
How long do you spend sitting each day?
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