Malta has just found itself in the international news spotlight, and this time, it’s not for our sunny beaches or buzzing nightlife.
Al Jazeera English, the global news channel with over 17 million YouTube subscribers, has released a video titled “Malta faces population crisis: Island nation has lowest fertility rate in Europe”.
The short but eye-opening clip explores the island’s plummeting fertility rate, currently at 1.06 children per woman, the lowest in the European Union and far below the replacement level of 2.1. With fewer babies being born, the government is sounding the alarm on what it calls a growing demographic challenge.
The report featured Sasha, a 25-year-old content creator, artist, and yoga teacher who lives on the quiet island of Gozo. Having left her 9-to-5 in Valletta, Sasha has crafted a life that fits her dreams rather than society’s expectation, and she’s unapologetically child-free.
“I used to feel the pressure to fit into the mould society wants us to be in,” she told Al Jazeera. “We grow up thinking we have to choose that one thing to focus on, and then that’s it. I’ve engineered my life to fit everything I want to be doing.”
Sasha is also a regular on the Malta-based podcast The She Word, where women openly discuss life without children. Her message is simple: choosing not to have children doesn’t mean you don’t care about kids, sometimes it’s because you care deeply.
Al Jazeera’s report also highlighted Malta’s demographic challenges. With a fertility rate of just 1.06 children per woman, the island has the lowest birth rate in the EU, well below the 2.1 needed to maintain the population. The Finance Minister warned, “We forget that we will be shrinking, and maybe tomorrow or the next day, this nation will vanish.”
The government is offering financial incentives to encourage families, including a one-time payment of just over $1,000 for a first child, with higher bonuses for second and third children. But experts argue these measures don’t go far enough, especially when support after birth is limited.
With fewer Maltese mothers giving birth, foreign workers and non-Maltese mothers now account for over a third of births. But citizenship is not guaranteed, leaving Malta at a crossroads as it tries to sustain its population for the future.
Al Jazeera’s coverage paints a picture of a nation balancing tradition and modernity: while some choose family, others like Sasha are redefining what it means to live a fulfilling life on the islands.
What do you make of this?
Video credits to the Al Jazeera English YouTube Channel
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