Almost two-thirds of people in Malta believe euthanasia should be legal, a new Times of Malta poll finds, saying it should be legal for doctors to assist terminally ill adult patients in ending their life.
According to the poll, 62% believe that the procedure should be legal, with only 28% opposing the move. The remaining 10% say they are on the fence about the issue.
The poll, carried out by market research firm Esprimi, collected data from 600 respondents throughout early April. The poll asked people if they believed that it should be legal for a doctor to assist terminally ill patients over the age of 18 to end their life if certain conditions are met.
Younger people in favour, over 65s against
The poll sheds light on a generational divide on the issue, with opposition to the introduction of euthanasia growing with age.
While all voters under the age of 55 are strongly in favour of the legalisation of euthanasia, with none of the younger age groups’ support dipping under 68%, this drops sharply to 49% for the 55-64 age group.
This drops even further for respondents over the age of 65, making them the only age group who oppose the introduction of euthanasia, with 48% of them saying they are against the measure, compared to 40% in favour.
Likewise, women appear to be more split on the issue than men, although 58% of women still say they support doctor-assisted dying.
PN voters split, while PL voters open to the measure
Voters of Malta’s two main political parties are also split on the issue.
Almost three-quarters (69%) of those who plan to vote for PL in the upcoming MEP elections say they are in favour of euthanasia, with only 28% expressing their disapproval.
PN voters, on the other hand, are marginally against the measure, with 48% saying it should illegal, compared to 46% in favour.
Once again the poll suggests a stark generational gap, especially between younger and older PN voters.
PN’s resistance to the introduction of euthanasia is largely driven by its older voters, with 71% of its supporters over the age of 65 saying euthanasia should be banned. By comparison, fewer than a third of Labour voters of the same age agree, with over half of them supporting the measure.
On the other hand, two-thirds of PN voters under the age of 35 say they want euthanasia to be introduced
Meanwhile, people who say they don’t intend to vote at all overwhelmingly support the introduction of euthanasia, with 71% saying it should be legal.
Gozitans are also in favour, but only just
Opinions also vary between voters in Malta and those in Gozo.
Although Gozitans are still mostly in favour of doctor-assisted dying, only 46% of them say it should be legal, whilst four in ten oppose it.
By comparison, support for euthanasia topped 60% in each of the five districts in Malta, peaking at 74% in the southeastern district, which includes towns such as Marsaxlokk, Żejtun, Żurrieq and Marsascala.
Debate rumbles on
The debate on doctor-assisted dying has long been on the agenda, with activists calling on parliament to legalise the procedure as early as far back as 2016. At the time, opposition to the measure was believed to be widespread, with one survey suggesting that nine out of every 10 doctors opposed euthanasia.
The Labour Party later promised to start a national discussion on the topic, including the pledge in its 2022 electoral manifesto.
Some months earlier, PL deputy leader Daniel Micallef had openly spoken of how he had come to support its introduction after his own father’s death at the hands of a terminal illness.
The debate was reignited last month after Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela told Times of Malta that he believes that doctor-assisted dying is justified in certain cases.