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Maltese parents not having children because of increasing costs, Labour MP states

Maltese parents not having children because of high property prices, Labour MP states
Mar 14 2023 Share

Labour Party MP Omar Farrugia stated that Malta’s decreasing fertility rate may be partly caused by expensive properties and high cost of living.

Addressing Parliament on Monday, PL MP Omar Farrugia referred to the recent Eurostat figures showing Malta with the lowest fertility rates in Europe, with 1.13 live births per woman.

Apart from being a significant drop from the EU average of 1.53 births per women, this year’s results are the latest in a downward trend in local fertility since 2013, with the sharpest decreases were registered between 2017 and 2019.

Farrugia credited this downward trend in fertility partly to increasing property prices and cost of living, stating “so young people, or young couples, due to this, decided to wait more to purchase a property. Basically postponing life plans for later.”

“A lot of young families want to have children but when considering a loan, when considering a potential home loan or car loan, does the family have enough disposable income to live comfortably with a child or two?”

Additionally, a study released in September 2022 showed how Maltese men left their parents’ homes on average after the age of 30 during the year 2023. With the European average standing at 27.4 across all countries on the block, Maltese men and women left a little later, with women leaving at the age of 29 as  opposed to the European average of 25.5 years of age.

During his discourse, Farrugia also shed light on the stark difference between Malta’s traditional culture, which is heavily dependent on family values, and the feeling of huge failure in the fact that Malta has one of the lowest fertility rates in Europe.

Do you agree with Farrugia’s statement?

#MaltaDaily

Malta’s average salary stood at €1,785 in the last quarter of 2022

Mar 14 2023 Share

The average salary of Maltese employees stood at €1,785 in the last three months of 2022, with the total number of people in employment in that time period standing at 290,995.

In a recent statement, the National Statistics Office revealed that 63.3% of the population aged 15 and over was in employment, with unemployment standing at 1.9% with 8,732 individuals. Meanwhile, inactive persons stood at 159,622, amounting to 34.7 per cent.

On average, 79 out of 100 persons aged between 15 and 64 were employment, with the male employment bracket registered at 84% whilst the same for females stood at 72.3%.

The most prominent bracket of unemployed individuals was found in those aged between 25 and 34 years of age for both genders.

#MaltaDaily

Shaun Farrugia back with number one DJ Martin Garrix; sings to his family & heads to the studio

Shaun Farrugia back with number one DJ Martin Garrix; sings to his family & heads to the studio
Mar 14 2023 Share

The past few days seem to have been quite a thrill ride for Maltese wonder-kid Shaun Farrugia, as he reunited with the world’s current number one DJ Martin Garrix.

 

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Farrugia was spotted on Garrix’s Instagram story, first serenading the DJ’s family as he sung and played the piano before then heading back to the studio, hopefully for another Farrugia-Garrix collaboration.

Re-sharing the clip to his own Instagram story, Farrugia stated that “performing for Martin’s family will be a memory [he] will never forget.”

A subsequent story then showed Farrugia with Garrix and DJ Julian Jordan, who was ranked number 60’s in DJ Mag’s Top 100 ranking in 2022.

The last time Farrugia and Garrix collaborated, the world was blessed with two global hits in the form of Starlight (Keep Me Afloat) and If We’ll Ever Be Remembered.

Do you think we’ll get another collaboration between the two?

#MaltaDaily

Maltese researchers make major global breakthrough in ALS treatment

Maltese research make major breakthrough in ALS treatment
Mar 14 2023 Share

A group of Maltese researchers has made a major breakthrough in ALS research after identifying which gene could be targeted to treat or stop the disease.

The research findings of global significance were made at the University of Malta, where the researchers used fruit flies in their studies. Fruit flies share a 75 per cent DNA sequence overlap with humans and are the first genetically-modified multicellular organisms in Malta.

The researchers are reported to have fixated on a gene that is found ‘disrupted’ in a considerable number of ALS patient. When the same gene was ‘switched off’ fruit flies, ALS symptoms began to develop, a first in the regard of animal models.

The study was led by Professor Ruben Cauchi, an Associate Professor of Neurogenetics at the University of Malta’s Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and Head of the ALS/Motor Neuron Disease Lab, together with Dr Rebecca Borg, Angie Purkiss, Rebecca Cacciottolo and Dr Paul Herrera.

ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It leads to the gradual loss of muscle control and eventually results in paralysis and death.

Malta sees an average of 11 new ALS patients every year.

#MaltaDaily