One third of income is between Lm2,000 and Lm4,000

by Franco Aloisio

The annual income of one third of Maltese households stands between Lm2,000 and Lm4,000, according to the findings of a study currently being carried out by the Central Office of Statistics (COS).

The findings state that 30.9 per cent of households earn between Lm2,000 and Lm3,999. Those earning less than Lm2,000, which in the main are the unemployed, are 11 per cent while those whose income is between Lm4,000 and Lm5,999 amount to 25.3 per cent. A considerable drop in numbers is recorded when the income levels go further up, between Lm6,000 to Lm7,999, with a total of 14 per cent. The very rich, that is, those earning more than Lm20,000 a year total 0.4 per cent.

COS published these results yesterday as part of a screening exercise being carried out among several households in view of the Household Budgetary Survey and Labour Force Survey currently underway. In the former survey, which started in March 2000 and will end in 2001, a batch of about 1,000 households are approached and screened every two months. Income and occupational levels, consumption behaviour and other trends are looked into during this survey.

On the occupational categories of the Maltese, the survey shows that 17.5 per cent were employed in the crafts and related trades. These are followed by the services, shops and market sales workers, at 16.2 per cent. Next are the elementary occupations, which stand at 15.6 per cent. At 14.9 per cent, the technicians and associate professionals are the four largest occupational category in Malta.

It was found that 34 per cent of those interviewed were economically inactive, that is neither employed nor unemployed. This category includes pensioners and housewives. Some 4.7 per cent reported they were unemployed.

On the size of households in Malta, the COS reported that the average number of persons in a household was 3.18 persons.