Eurostat statistics published today show that purchasing from shops increased by 2% in January when compared to the same month the previous year, the government said.

Purchasing also went up 0.7% from the previous month, December 2014.

The government said that bank deposits by Maltese families for the first time surpassed €9 million. The public had also responded with €140 million in stocks for a €120 million offer, another indication of the well-being of the Maltese people.