Malta is the country with the highest percentage of mobile phone users who use a pre-paid card rather than have a contract with the mobile provider, a recent survey by Eurobarometer has shown.

Almost eight Europeans in 10 own a mobile and most of them have it for their personal use. The percentage of mobile phone owners varies from 95 per cent of Swedes to 64 per cent of Poles.

Eighty-four per cent of the Maltese were said by the survey to own a mobile phone. Ninety-four per cent of them have a pre-paid card and only six per cent are on a contract. Fifty-three per cent of the Europeans have a pre-paid card and 45 per cent have a contract. Two per cent have both.

While the vast majority of Maltese and Italian users have a pre-paid card, 94 per cent of Finns and 75 per cent of Estonians have a contract.