16.3 pct of Malta's population deemed at risk of poverty

Malta's monetary at-risk-of-poverty rate stood at 16.3 percent, while the social exclusion rate stood at 22.4 percent, according to latest data from the National Statistics Office of Malta on Thursday.

The monetary poverty line refers to people in private households earning 60 percent of the median national income. In 2014, households on the poverty line stood at 15.9 percent. But Malta's average household disposable income also increased from 24,730 euros (27,582 U.S. dollars) in 2014 to 25,960 in 2015.

Malta's government said 5,000 persons had exited from being at risk of poverty. According to official calculations, the poverty threshold stood at 8,096 euros last year.

The at-risk-of-poverty rate among persons aged below 18 years of age stood at 23.4 percent. This rate stood at 21 percent for persons aged 65 years and over.

Single-parent households were found to be more susceptible to being on the poverty line with 45.3 percent with incomes below the poverty line median.

The severe material deprivation rate stood at 8.1 percent, meaning those who cannot afford unexpected financial expenses, a week's holiday, mortgage arrears, eat meat every second day, etc.

More than 40 percent were living in households which claimed that not all household members could afford to pay for a one-week annual holiday away from home.

The data was collected among a sample of 4,300 Maltese people over four years. Endit