More than half of people in Malta believe they will be living a better life this time next year, according to the latest State of the Nation survey.The 2026 survey found that 52.3% of respondents are optimistic about their lives improving over the coming 12 months, up 5.3 percentage points from last year and 13.2 points since 2023.Young people were among the most optimistic, with 71.8% of those aged 26 to 35 expecting a better life next year, followed by 66.7% of 16 to 25-year-olds. By contrast, just 37.6% of people aged 66 and over shared that optimism.However, the findings also reveal a striking contrast: overall satisfaction with life has actually fallen. While 72.1% said they were happy with their lives in 2025, that figure dropped to 67.9% this year.Financially, 40.8% said their situation had improved over the past year, while 46% said it remained roughly the same. Another 13.2% said they were worse off.The survey also found that nearly one in five respondents wish they had been born and raised outside Malta, with the figure rising to around one in three among 16 to 25-year-olds.Meanwhile, 44.6% are considering voting for a different political party in the future, while Facebook links have become the country’s preferred way of accessing news.Do these results reflect how you feel about life in Malta right now?•