Malta Has The Highest Reporting Rates Of Domestic Violence In EU

A recent survey conducted by Eurostat has revealed that Malta has the highest reporting rates of domestic violence in the whole of the European Union.

The Eurostat figures also showed that one in every four women in the EU, experienced some form of abuse in their lifetimes.

The findings emerged from a survey conducted between 2020 and 2024 by Eurostat, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).

Across the EU-27, a total of 114,023 women participated in the survey, including over 3,000 women from Malta.

The data revealed that nearly one-third of women across the EU have experienced violence at home, in the workplace, or in public spaces. However, only one in four victims reported these incidents to the authorities.

In Malta, 24.4% of women reported experiencing physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives, below the EU average of 30.7%. Among these, 13% faced physical violence or threats (excluding sexual violence), while 11% experienced sexual violence.

An analysis of reporting trends revealed that Malta had the highest overall reporting rate, with 48.2% of women reaching out to health or social services, support services, or the police.

This means that almost half of the Maltese women who experienced violence, had the courage to speak up.

Specifically, 33.7% reported to health or social services, 18% sought assistance from support services, and 31.5% reported incidents to the police.

In terms of reporting to “close people,” such as friends or family, Malta ranked third at 76%, following Poland at 81.5% and Greece at 82.9%.

#MaltaDaily