Malta population up by 2.4% in 2025

The estimated population of Malta and Gozo stood at 588,254 at the end of 2025 - up by 2.4 per cent when compared to the previous year, according to the NSO.

Net migration (immigration minus emigration), amounting to 13,906 people, was the main contributor to population growth in 2025, the National Statistics Office said in a statement marking World Population Day.

World Population Day is celebrated globally on July 11.

According to the fresh data published on Thursday, non-EU citizens made up 78.1 per cent of total net migrants and men accounted for 62.5 per cent.

While net migration increased by nearly one-third when compared to 2024 (31%), both immigration and emigration decreased.

Births down, deaths up

Resident live births decreased by 0.8% over 2024. 

Of the parents who gave birth in 2025, 38.2 per cent were aged 30 to 34 at the time of birth.

Resident deaths meanwhile increased by 1.4 per cent over the previous year.

Of the 4,240 resident deaths in 2025, 71.5 per cent were people aged 75 and over.

The decrease in births and increase in deaths led to a drop in natural increase, - from 193 in 2024 to 98 in 2025.

This is equal to a 49.2 per cent decline when compared to 2024.

Women outlive men

As at the end of 2025, men accounted for 53.3 per cent of the total resident population.

An analysis of the population by age and sex shows that males predominated across all broad age groups up to 69 years, while females constituted the majority among those aged 70 years and over.

This sex disparity was more pronounced in older age groups, with women outnumbering men nearly two to one among those aged 85 and over.

People under the age of 18 made up 14.3 per cent of the total population, while those aged 65 and over accounted for 18.4 per cent.

A total of 4,005 people were aged 90 and over – 2,758 females and 1,247 males.

31.1% are not citizens

The total resident population was made up of 68.9 per cent Maltese citizens and 31.1 per cent non-Maltese.

The distribution by age among the Maltese population was relatively balanced across the 10-year age groups between 30 and 79.

By contrast, the non-Maltese population was predominantly working age, with 22.1 per cent aged 20 to 29, 34.8 per cent aged 30 to 39, and 18.7 per cent aged 40 to 49.

The Western district had the highest share of Maltese citizens at 85.4 per cent, followed by the Southern Harbour district (79.3 per cent) and the South Eastern district (79.2 per cent).

In contrast, the Northern Harbour and Northern districts recorded the highest share of foreign citizens, at 43.9 per cent and 38.8 per cent, respectively.

Dense population ibnn Sliema, Pietà and Senglea

Population density was highest in central and harbour localities, particularly Sliema (18,186 people per km2), Pietà (16,346 people per km2), and Senglea (15,060 people per km2).

Other localities in the inner harbour and surrounding areas recorded high population densities, including Gżira, Fgura and Ħamrun, reflecting the concentration of residents within this region.

By contrast, the lowest population densities were recorded in Għasri (104 people per km2), San Lawrenz (226 people per km2), and Imdina (227 people per km2)