Malta's population now tops 563,000
According to national statistics published on Wednesday to mark World
Population Day, Malta's population has exceeded 563,000. The data reveals that
the population surged by nearly 21,000, or 4 percent, over the year, reaching
563,443 by the end of 2023, compared to 542,051 the previous year.
This growth was primarily driven by immigration, which hit a record high
with over 42,000 people relocating to Malta in 2023. Of these migrants, more
than three-quarters (around 33,000) were third-country nationals, including UK
citizens, and nearly 7,000 were EU nationals. Additionally, approximately 2,200
Maltese citizens returned to the islands after living abroad.
However, 2023 also saw an unprecedented number of people leaving Malta.
Emigration almost doubled from 13,000 in 2022 to over 21,000 in 2023, resulting
in a lower net population increase. Most of the emigrants were third-country
nationals, with 13,500 departing, alongside 6,000 EU citizens and 1,700 Maltese
citizens.
Malta’s migration patterns have significantly affected the gender balance of
its population. Until 2013, women outnumbered men, but this trend has reversed.
Currently, there are 34,000 more men than women, particularly among the
working-age population (20-50 years old), where there are 35,000 more men.
However, among those under 19, the gender ratio is nearly equal, and women far
outnumber men in the over-60 age group. People over 60 now comprise just under
a quarter of Malta's population.
In 2023, Malta saw an increase in births and a decline in deaths. A total of
4,462 babies were born, the highest number since 2016, with 153 more births
than the previous year. Nearly half of these births were to parents aged 30-34,
and a further one in five were to parents aged 35-39, indicating a trend of
fewer births among those in their 20s. Despite a low fertility rate, the number
of deaths fell below 4,000, the lowest since 2019, with 200 fewer deaths than
in 2022. Seven out of every ten deaths were among people over 75, while infant
mortality dropped to its lowest in 15 years, with only 16 deaths among infants
under one year old, half the peak of 34 in 2008.
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