Just under 30 per cent of Maltese citizens in cultural employment had an education level which was either less than primary, primary or lower-secondary, a new report by Eurostat shows, resulting in Maltese in cultural employment having the lowest education in the European Union in 2016.

Circa 40 percent working in the cultural area had a tertiary education, whilst just over 30 per cent received an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education.

The study defines ‘cultural employment’ by including all individuals who are working in a sector of the economy which is defined as ‘cultural’, irrespective of whether they are employed in a cultural occupation, the report titled ‘Culture statistics-cultural employment’ explains.  All occupations which relate to culture are included, even if the people concerned are employed in non-cultural sectors.

These results differ to the overall EU figures highlighted in the report. “The level of education of those employed in a cultural area stands out,” the report states. “Almost 60 per cent of people working in culture in the EU had a tertiary education, compared with 34 per cent in total employment.”

Meanwhile, the number of Maltese citizens working in the area of culture was above European Union average in 2016, according to findings published by Eurostat, the EU’s main statistical office, on Tuesday.

4.2 per cent of Maltese were found to work in the area of culture in 2016, 0.5 per cent more than the EU average which stood at 3.7 per cent, the tenth highest number out of the 28 EU countries.

Incidentally, the percentage decreased slightly from the two years prior, where it stood at 4.3 per cent (2015), and 4.4 per cent (2014). However, the numbers remain the same throughout the three years; with eight people working in the area of culture for every 1000 people.

Out of those eight per one thousand persons in 2016, five (5.4) were male and three (2.5) were women.

When looking at the whole of Europe, the number of people working in the cultural industry increased at a steady pace, the report shows.