Maltese people at risk of poverty down 4 pct: data

VALLETTA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The number of people living at risk of poverty and social exclusion in Malta has decreased by 4.0 percent since 2013, according to Eurostat data published on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Eurostat data showed the number increased between 2010 and 2013. A total of 21.2 percent of the population was considered to have been at risk in 2010, increasing to 24 percent in 2013, before falling to 20.1 percent in 2016. The European average for 2016 stood at 23.5 percent of the population.

In a tweet, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat described the results as the government's philosophy of "prosperity with a purpose" having come to fruition.

The survey also found that a sharp drop in the number of severely materially deprived people -- from 10.2 percent to 4.4 percent since 2014.

Similarly, the percentage of households where members of working age worked less than 20 percent of their total potential fell by 15 percent between 2014 and 2016. The government had implemented various policies aimed at increasing women's participation in the workforce, as well as to reduce the number of people living off benefits.

In a statement published on Tuesday, the ministry for social solidarity noted that Malta was doing a lot better than other European Union (EU) member states.

"These results show the extent to which the government is addressing the needs of the most vulnerable in society," read the statement. Enditem