VALLETTA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Over a third of Malta's population feel the pinch of rising costs of goods and services, and an almost equal proportion has had to shelve holiday plans for financial reasons, said a survey published on Thursday.
Conducted by the auditing firm EY, the survey found that inflation was forcing consumers at all income levels to change their shopping habits. People are shopping less frequently for non-essentials, such as clothing and entertainment, to remain able to afford fuel and fresh food, where there are fewer alternatives.