6% of people in Malta reported having asthma in 2019

A Eurostat study found that Malta registered a higher rate than the EU average in terms of the number of people affected by asthma.

The figure stood at 6% for Malta in 2019. Malta registered a slight increase of 0.2% over 2014.

Statistics show that the European Union registered an average of 5.7% in 2019, seeing an increase of 0.3% when compared to 2014.

Among EU countries, Finland recorded the highest rate, with 9% of people reporting to have asthma. This was followed by Germany and France (both 8%).

In contrast, only 2% of people in both Romania and Bulgaria reported having asthma, the study showed.

Comparing data to 2014, Germany (+1.9%), Croatia (+1.8 %), and Belgium (+1.5%) saw the number of people reporting to have asthma go up the most in 2019. On the other hand, Ireland (-1.7%), Greece (-1.1%) and France (-1.0%) registered the biggest decrease in people reporting asthma.

The Eurostat Statistics also provided figures on other issues, including chronic depression, diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic lower respiratory diseases (excluding asthma).

Figures show that the rate of people in Malta who reported any of the above-mentioned issues decreased in 2019 when compared to 2014.

In 2019, 0.6% of the Maltese population reported having a chronic lower respiratory disease (excluding asthma). This resulted in a 0.5% decrease when compared to 2014, as the figure then stood at 1.1%.

The EU average for chronic lower respiratory diseases (excluding asthma) stood at 4.3% both in 2014 and in 2019.

Moreover, with regard to high blood pressure, Malta registered a 3.3% decrease in 2019 when compared to 2014. Figures stood at 21.4% (2014) and at 18.1% (in 2019). The European Union registered an increase, as figures stood at 21.6% in 2014 and 21.9% in 2019.

On the other hand, statistics on diabetes show that the EU average increased by 0.3% in 2019, from 7.1% to 7.4%. However, Malta registered a decrease of 0.8% as figures stood at 8.3% in 2014 and 7.5% in 2019.

The situation with regard to chronic depression was similar as the EU average increased (0.3%), whilst Malta’s rate decreased by 1.9% in 2019.