What Are The Characteristics Of Women From Malta?

Family is hugely important in many European nations but rarely is it entirely as meaningful as it is for Maltese women. Indeed, many Maltese women still hold incredibly traditional views on family and familial roles. Hence, many Maltese women still proudly hold onto conventional roles and will often readily step into a lifestyle as the household’s matriarch. This usually means that Maltese women have robust relationships with their children, siblings, and mothers since they likely spent much time with each growing up. However, Maltese women may have a slightly less strong relationship with their fathers in some cases since the traditional patriarchal role means that fathers are more likely to spend time working and supporting the family. Nevertheless, this family structure still means that Maltese women are exceptionally caring.

 Oddly though, despite their maternal nature and traditional view on family structures, the fertility rate in Malta – as is seen across many European countries – has fallen. In fact, the birth rate in Malta has one of the most significant drops in all European nations; in 1960, the average number of children per woman was 3.6. This fact represented a population increase per generation of almost 100%. However, in 2020, the fertility rate had fallen hugely to just 1.1 children per woman – accounting for a nearly 50% decrease per generation. This fact may be due to the already high population in the country. Therefore, when dating Maltese women, it may be worth considering that a large family is usually in the cards. If you do decide to start a family with your Maltese partner, she’ll still be unequivocally doting in most cases to any children you have. Plus, she will likely still put just as much time into the household as she can. However, for families with just one child, it may be easier for Maltese women to get a job rather than being full-time housekeepers. Therefore, it is worth discussing what she would like to do to see if a career is something your partner might want to pursue. After all, while Maltese women are mainly traditional, they are becoming more progressive in their mentality as time goes by.

 On a highly optimistic note, women in Malta are often fiercely loyal to their families and partner. As a result, while the number of marriages has fallen substantially in Malta – the highest drop per 1000 people of any European country – divorce rates in Malta also remain incredibly low. Estimates suggest divorces are as low as 0.5 divorcers per 1000 people. This point makes Malta the lowest country for divorce rates in the European Union; we can infer that the low number of marriages may be due to fewer people remarrying each year. Furthermore, Maltese women take marriage vows incredibly seriously due to the country’s immensely strong religious beliefs. So, once you’ve found a Maltese woman who passionately returns your love, tying the knot is likely an agreement you share for life. However, we highly recommend carefully considering whether you think you can share your life with your Maltese girlfriend since the chances are that she’ll expect you to stay by her side forever.

When it comes to education in Malta, many young children are enrolled in education from a very young age. And, as is the case in most European nations, education in Malta is compulsory for all young children. Children typically start school at the age of five, when they join primary school, following which point they will remain in compulsory education until the age of sixteen. Initially, primary education lasts for around six years and runs between the ages of five and eleven; after that, students complete approximately five years in secondary education, learning the fundamental skills they will need to enter the world of work until sixteen. At the end of secondary education, students sit for Secondary Education Certificates (SECs). Following this point, they may enroll in tertiary education by taking a further entrance examination, including colleges and universities. Pre-primary options are also available and optional, but if parents opt for preschool, the state fully funds this.

There is only one university in Malta, the University of Malta (UoM). After that, students have several options for further education and development or can otherwise apply for university; however, there are only a small number of universities in Malta (seven total, plus one currently closing down its Malta campus). Furthermore, only one university is publicly owned (the University of Malta, which has around 11,000 students). Nevertheless, for most students, education in Malta is free through state schools, although families can opt to send their children to private schools and church schools. While attendance in Maltese education varies by birth year, approximately 54,000 primary and secondary students are combined at any time. In addition to this, around 5,000 students follow post-secondary education, and around 15,000+ students attend tertiary education; approximately 11,000 students study at the public University of Malta annually. However, despite education being publicly funded and available, a surprisingly high proportion of students in Malta are enrolled in private education rather than public. While this still indicates that most (seven out of ten) students study in public education systems, around 30% are enrolled in private schools; however, many are run by the church. Since the Catholic church has an integral role in the culture of Maltese women and men, children in Malta must attend catholic classes. However, this is not mandatory for non-national students.

Employment in Malta is now at an all-time high at 76.70%, representing excellent opportunities for those looking to work in the country compared to previous years. Outside of the education system, employment in Malta is on the increase, with annual increases in employment rates of just under 1.5%. Most Maltese women and men work for private companies, but a minor number work for the public sector. There’s rarely been a better time to move to Malta to meet Maltese women. However, Malta’s average salaries are much lower than many other European countries, at around €17,500 per year. Moreover, Maltese women are typically much less likely to hold a career than in other nations (fewer than one-third of Maltese women are in employment). So, this could put some degree of pressure on other family members to make up for this shortcoming in income. Fortunately, since the Maltese Government pays for school transport, books, and additional educational materials, parents only have to purchase their child’s school uniform. This point differs from many other European nations where parents must pay for more of their child’s resources – and helps take a little pressure off in many cases.

Malta is an exceptionally old country in terms of human settlement and civilization. Indeed, its long-standing settlement history dates almost back to 6000BC (potentially longer). As such, it’s no surprise that the country has seen numerous civilizations over that time. One notable feature that differentiates Malta from many other European nations is that its history of religion is not exclusively Catholicism-dominated. While many Christians lived in Malta during the early Christianity period, this was a minor religion. Instead, the Arab nation ruled Malta at this time; therefore, following this, Islam was Malta’s primary faith for many generations. However, Christianity grew in Malta after the Norman Invasion of Malta; by the twelfth century, Christianity had begun to become stronger in the country. While the country previously tolerated Christianity, it was not widespread. This era saw the rapid expansion of Christianity in Malta; thus, Christianity is the overarching religion in Malta today.

Most of the Maltese population follows Christianity. Christianity is highly dominant in the country, accounting for about 95.2% of all faiths in the country. Most Christian Maltese women and men follow Catholicism, which around 83% of the population follows. Malta has over 300 Catholic churches in this regard. In addition, there are also two Anglican churches, one Presbyterian congregation, and a Lutheran congregation (which is mainly comprised of German and Scandinavian migrants to Malta). Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches are also rising in popularity, with around 5,000 followers. Unfortunately, church services for Orthodox Christians are much more limited, with many faiths sharing churches or using a parish. However, this may not be a significant issue for many Maltese women. While religion remains highly important in many Maltese women’s and men’s lives, church attendance has fallen significantly from 81.9% in 1967 to 36.1% in 2017. A large proportion is of older generations. So, this indicates that religion takes a minor role in young Maltese women’s and men’s lives, even for those still strongly Christian.Each remaining religion in Malta accounts for around 3% or less outside Christianity. One interesting point here is that only 1% of Maltese women and men identify as Atheists. Moreover, only 3% are irreligious. Thus, while most European countries have a non-religious population of around 20% or more, Malta is still drastically more religious than many other nations. Other countries’ religions include Islam at 2% (once the major religion in Malta), Judaism, Buddhism, the Baha’i Faith, and even paganism, with which around 100 active participants identify. Furthermore, almost 800 Jehovah’s Witnesses are registered in the country; meanwhile, over 1000 people attended the 2020 Memorial of Jesus’s Death, suggesting this may increase in popularity. Hence, religion is highly diverse within Malta, and when meeting Maltese women, it is crucial to be aware of this. Moreover, brushing up on your knowledge of Catholicism may be worthwhile to learn more about Malta’s overarchingly dominant faith. 

Before dating Maltese women, understanding their mentality is an excellent way to begin getting to know them. Indeed, for many people, the mindset of Maltese women can come across as quite blunt and aggressive, but this is mainly due to their often-hot-headed temperament. Most Maltese women know what they want and can be determined to achieve these goals, making it seem challenging to get to know them at first. However, once you begin getting to know Maltese women, you’ll likely find they open up to you a little more, so it’s worth waiting before you judge Maltese women from the outset; in most cases, their blunt demeanor is because they don’t know you. Fortunately, since Malta is one of the safest countries internationally, Maltese women should warm up to you pretty quickly if you are gentle and respectful with them. Be prepared to meet her friends and family, too, as these bonds are often solid between Maltese women. So, she will likely want to introduce you to her close circle soon after you begin dating.

One notable mentality of Maltese women is that they are strongly traditional in many cases. While Malta has been progressively improving in terms of equality, it’s nevertheless still the case that most Maltese families are still highly traditional, meaning Maltese women are brought up to follow patriarchal norms. Thus, they are often very traditional in their behaviors, often putting their family above all else. This means that once a Maltese woman gets to know you, they are usually very kind, caring, and compassionate. They will often go out of their way to ensure that their families are well looked after, eagerly filling in the traditional role of housemaker. Therefore, when dating a Maltese woman and once you’ve gotten to know her a little more, she should be much more eager to open up to you about her thoughts, feelings, and ambitions – and may be less likely to come across as blunt or uncaring.

However, it’s worth considering that while many Maltese women are highly traditional in their mindset, that’s not to say they’re less hard-working or ambitious than many other women. Often, Maltese women hold a strong drive to achieve more. They work tirelessly to prove their independence and strength and are usually highly determined; once they set their mind on a goal, they won’t rest until they achieve it. Whether this is learning a new skill or simply doing something around the house, you can count on a Maltese woman to put her all into everything she does. Admittedly, it may not always be possible for her to quickly achieve these goals since equality in Malta is still somewhat behind many other European nations; for example, if she dreams of getting a job, she may face more difficulties. Nevertheless, with support from her partner, she’ll likely stand a much greater chance of success in this regard; therefore, we would highly recommend standing by her side with any goals she puts her mind to.