NSO debunks Grech’s claim population doubled since 2013

The National Statistics Office has debunked claims by the Opposition leader on the country’s true population size.  

According to the NSO, the standard resident population totals 550,000, “with no scientific evidence indicating otherwise.” 

In an interview the Sunday after Kusi Dismark was repatriated from Malta, Opposition leader Bernard Grech repeated earlier claims that the country’s population doubled in size since 2013.  

Eurostat data shows that Malta’s population was estimated at 422,509 in 2013, which means that it would now stand at around 840,000 if Grech’s claim is correct - a longshot from the 550,000-figure established in the NSO’s 2021 Census. 

But in replies to questions from this newspaper, the NSO said the Census included information about the ‘usual resident’ population. The term ‘usual resident’ refers to individuals who live in a particular area for a significant amount of time and consider that location as their usual place of residence. This concept is often used in demographic and statistical contexts, especially when collecting census or population data.  

“Irregular or unoccupied migrants are also included in the resident population with the same rules of usual residence applying. Asylum seekers and persons who have applied for or have been granted refugee status or other types of international protection are included in the resident population if the duration of stay in Malta is, or is expected to be, at least 12 months,” a spokesperson said. 

The spokesperson insisted the ‘usual resident population’ measurement is applied by all EU member state countries and beyond. 

“The present statistics show that the standard resident population totals 550,000, with no scientific evidence indicating otherwise,” the NSO spokesperson concluded.  

Malta has experienced a population boom over the past decade, fuelled by liberal economic policies that required the importation of foreign workers. The rapid increase in population has caused strain on the country’s infrastructure and fuelled social tension. 

The issue of migration and population is one of the top concerns for voters, according to MaltaToday polling data. 

The issue was once again thrust onto the national stage when Ghanaian Kusi Dismark was repatriated to his country after living in Malta for more than a decade.  

Dismark had arrived in Malta as an undocumented migrant 13 years ago and although slated for repatriation the process was never completed. Meanwhile, he studied at MCAST and even opened a barber shop in Ħamrun, integrating well with the community. 

He was detained on 21 January by immigration officers in a move that shocked friends and prompted calls from activists for a more humane immigration policy. 

Reacting to the news the Sunday after the incident, Opposition leader Bernard Grech reiterated a claim first made in parliament last November that the Census was not a correct reflection of Malta’s true population size. 

He insisted that since 2013 the population “almost doubled”, going as far as saying official statistics were “hiding the true population”. Grech said Dismark’s case was proof of how the authorities catch small numbers of undocumented migrants living in Malta from time to time.