Around one in five people in Malta are currently at risk of poverty or social exclusion, according to figures presented in parliament.The data, tabled by Michael Falzon in response to a question by Graziella Attard Previ, shows a decline from 24.6% in 2013 to 19.7% today.This represents a shift from roughly one in four people to one in five over the past decade.Other indicators also show improvement. Severe material and social deprivation dropped from 10.2% to 4%, while overall deprivation fell from 19.9% to 9%.The number of people on social assistance also decreased significantly, from over 12,700 in 2013 to 5,676 by the end of 2025. Those receiving unemployment assistance saw an even sharper decline.Despite these improvements, the figures highlight that a significant portion of the population still faces economic challenges.Are these numbers surprising?•