Malta has one of the lowest rates of Internet usage in Europe, with only an estimated four percent of the population having access to the Internet. Roman Catholicism is the state religion, and an estimated 67 percent of the population attends mass at least once a week. The government grants subsidies only to Roman Catholic schools. Students in government schools may opt to decline instruction in Roman Catholicism. Freedom of worship by religious minorities is respected.
Workers have the right to associate freely and to strike.
In August, the General Workers Union organized a strike that paralyzed the Malta International Airport at the height of the tourist season. Forty-eight union employees were arrested and accused of breaching the peace, assaulting the police, and entering restricted zones of the airport. The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative branches. The chief justice and nine judges are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister. The constitution requires a fair public trial, and defendants have the right to counsel of their choice.