Almost 520,000 people living in Malta and Gozo, NSO study reveals

There are  516,100 people living in Malta and Gozo, with 30-39 year-olds accounting for the highest share of the population across the islands, according to a report by the National Statistics Office (NSO).

New regional statistics show that the highest increases in population were seen among elderly age groups, while the largest decrease was registered among those between 10 and 19 years of age.

In terms of foreign population, the highest increases were found among those aged 30 to 39. This was the case for Malta and Gozo.

Malta experienced uninterrupted positive year-on-year growth in its natural population change. In Gozo and Comino this growth was similarly positive for all years except for 2015.

With churches adopting restrictive measures during the pandemic, the number of registered marriages dropped drastically in 2020 compared to previous years.

A total 1,157 marriages were registered in Malta, almost half of the number reported in 2019.

The statistical report takes a look at the old-age dependency ratio for 2020. In Malta, this ratio stood at 27.9%, with approximately three working-age adults for every person aged 65 years or more.

The highest ratio was registered in the Southern Harbour district at 35.8%. The lowest ratio was registered in the Northern district at 21.2%.

Salient points from the NSO's regional statistics report

• 55% of post-secondary and tertiary education students were female in 2020 
• Employment growth lassed behind GDP growth between 2015 and 2020, except in 2016 when employment growth was slightly greater than GDP growth
• 35% of active businesses operated in the Northern Harbour district
• In 2020 total domestic trips to and from Malta and Gozo increased by 51.9% when compared to 2019
• In 2021 inbound tourists increased by 47% compared to 2020, with more than half of these tourists coming to Malta using low-cost airlines
• The highest number of reared livestock heads in Malta was that of pigs. In Gozo and Comino the highest number was that of cattle.
• Water consumption in Malta increased by 9.2%
• Municipal waste generation increased by 14% in. Malta and 4.5% in Gozo over 2016
• The stock of PV installations amounted to 30,972 in Malta and Gozo. 85.1% were installed in the Malta region.