Home » Regional and Geospatial Statistics » Regional Statistics MALTA 2024 Edition
Errata Corrige: A mistake has been identified in Table 5.1.8, located on page 162, in which the rates of motorisation by region (NUTS 3) and district (LAU 1) were inaccurately reported. Related texts on pages 147 and 148 were also updated.
The online document has been updated on January 09, 2025, at 15:30 hrs. An addendum has been inserted in the printed version of the document.
The Regional Statistics MALTA publication distinguishes itself in being the go-to publication if one is interested in gathering high-quality official statistics at a regional level.
Building on its previous editions, the 2024 edition provides a methodical insight shedding light on important socio-economic and environmental developments shaping Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Whenever possible, these statistics were desegregated by several socio-economic variables, thus allowing comparisons between different demographic groups or economic sectors. Moreover, the methodology used to compile these statistics is consistent with the previous editions of this publication, thus allowing comparisons with previous years.
Just like the previous editions, this publication covers eight domains, namely: Demography, Education, Labour Market, Economy, Transport, Tourism, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Resources. In addition to detailed commentaries, the publication puts forth tables, charts, and maps, that help in the analytical process also highlighting significant findings. Detailed methodological notes are also available to help users understand better the definitions and methods used to compile these results.
1.1 Population: 2022
… 501,860 and 40,191 persons resided in the Malta and Gozo and Comino regions respectively.
… persons aged between 30 and 39 years accounted for the highest share of the population of both regions.
Change in population: 2017-2022
… the highest percentage increases were observed in the age cohorts of 30 to 39 and 40 to 49 years in the Malta region. In contrast, Gozo and Comino experienced the highest percentage increase in the 30 to 39 cohort, followed by the 70 to 79 age group.
… the highest increases in the foreign population occurred within the population of 30-39 years of age in both regions.
… natural population change was uninterruptedly positive year-on-year for the Malta region while Gozo and Comino region had a negative natural population growth rate for 2021 and 2022.
… in 2022, old age-dependency ratio in MALTA stood at 27.1 per cent, thus there is approximately four working-age adults for every person aged 65 years or more.
Marriages: 2022
… 2,546 marriages were registered in MALTA. This reflects an increase of 270 marriages when compared to 2021, with an increase of 271 marriages registered in Malta region. There was one marriage less registered in the region of Gozo and Comino compared to the previous year.
1.2 Households: 2022
… the most common household size for people living in the Malta region was the two-person, while in Gozo and Comino region was the one-person.
… average household disposable income was highest in the South Eastern district at €42,855 and lowest in the Northern Harbour district, €29,852.
… persons at-risk-poverty rates for the regions of Malta and Gozo and Comino were 16.8 and 15.1 per cent respectively.
1.3 Selected Social benefits: 2022
… two-thirds pension had the highest number of beneficiaries from the selection of social benefits in both regions during the years under consideration.
… the Malta region, the expenditure per capita on the selected benefits was highest in the localities of L-Imdina, Santa Luċija, Il-Birgu, L-Isla, Valletta, Floriana and Bormla where the expenditure per capita was greater than €2,000 in each of the localities. In contrast, the expenditure per capita was less than €1,000 in the localities of San Pawl Il-Baħar, L-Imsida, Is-Swieqi, Marsaskala, L-Imtarfa, Ħal Għargħur, Il-Gżira and San Ġiljan.
… in the region of Gozo and Comino, the expenditure per capita on the selected benefits was highest in Ir-Rabat with expenditure per capita exceeding €1,500. On the other hand, Iż-Żebbug, Il-Munxar and L-Għarb registered the least expenditure per capita of less than €1,000.
Pre-primary children: Scholastic year 2021/2022
… largest proportion of pre-primary students resided and attended school in the Northern Harbour district.
… the share of pre-primary students attending state and independent schools amounted to 72.0 and 17.7 per cent respectively.
Primary students: Scholastic year 2021/2022
… 27,039 students enrolled in primary education. State schools remained the most popular at 58.1 per cent of total student body in primary level.
Secondary students: Scholastic year 2021/2022
… 21,994 students enrolled in secondary education. Most students attended institutions in the same district of residence except for students residing in the Western district, where most of them attended at institutions located in the Northern Harbour district.
Post-secondary general education: Scholastic year 2021/2022
… 4,494 adolescents enrolled in post-secondary general education, of which 75.5 per cent attended state-run institutions. Most students attended institutions located in the Northern Harbour district at 59.5 per cent.
Other Post-secondary and Tertiary education – Academic year 2021/2022
… 24,151 students attended full-time or part-time courses; an increase of 4.3 per cent when compared to academic year 2020/21.
… most students residing in Malta and Gozo and Comino were females at 55.7 per cent. The largest share of male and female students hailed from the Northern Harbour at 31.3 and 29.4 per cent respectively.
Graduates per 1,000 inhabitants – Academic year 2021/2022
… share of graduates at MQF level 6 per 1,000 inhabitants was highest in the Western and Northern Harbour districts at 5.7 and 5.6 respectively whereas that for MQF level 7 was highest in the Western and South Eastern districts at 4.9 and 4.4 per 1,000 inhabitants respectively.
Employment by place of residence: 2022
… 245,059 Malta residents worked on full-time basis, an increase of 8.6 per cent when compared to 2021.
… 81.6 per cent of Malta residents worked in the private sector.
… 17,702 Gozo and Comino residents with a full-time job, an increase of 5.7 per cent when compared to 2021.
… 66.0 per cent of Gozo and Comino residents worked in the private sector.
Employment by place of work: 2022
… full-time employment in Malta region stood at 249,100, an increase of 8.6 per cent over 2021.
… the highest proportion of full-time employment in Malta region was registered in the wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; transportation and storage; accommodation and food service activities (G, H and I) which accounted to 24.5 per cent of the total.
… full-time employment in Gozo and Comino region amounted to 13,661, an increase of 4.8 per cent over 2021.
… full-time males in the Gozo and Comino region were predominantly employed in the wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; transportation and storage; accommodation and food service activities (G, H and I) while the females were mainly employed in the public administration and defence; compulsory social security; education; human health and social work activities (O, P and Q).
Commuter workers: 2022
… Gozo and Comino residents employed on a full-time basis in Malta region totalled 3,494, of which, 54.8 per cent worked in the public sector and the remaining worked in the private sector.
Unemployment: 2022
… 27.0 per cent of unemployed persons resided in the Northern Harbour district.
… 34.0 per cent of the total featured in the 50 years and over age bracket.
Average annual basic salary: 2022
… €20,989 was the estimated average annual basic salary for employees.
… the average annual basic salary recorded for males was of €22,096 whilst the average annual basic salary for females was €19,605. The highest average annual basic salaries for both males and females were registered in the Western district.
Gross Value Added at basic price: 2022
… for the regions of Malta and Gozo and Comino GVA increased by 15.3 and 14.8 per cent respectively over 2021.
… all industries in Malta region registered increases in GVA, with the largest increase (43.1 per cent) being recorded in the industries of wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; transportation and storage; accommodation and food service activities (G, H and I).
… the majority of industries in the Gozo and Comino region registered increases in GVA when compared to the previous year, with the industries of the wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; transportation and storage; accommodation and food service activities (G, H and I) registering the largest increase of 38.1 per cent.
GDP at market prices and employment growth: 2017-2022
… even though employment in jobs increased year-on-year in both regions, employment growth lagged GDP growth during the period under consideration, except for 2020 where the rate of change in GDP was negative in both region.
… GDP per capita in Gozo and Comino region stood at 55.1 per cent when compared to corresponding estimates at national level.
Active business units at local unit level: 2022
… total active business population at the local unit level in MALTA amounted to 57,526, an increase of 1.1 per cent, or 605 active units, over 2021.
… most of the active businesses operated in the Northern Harbour district (34.4 per cent), whereas the Gozo and Comino district accounted for the least share at 7.6 per cent of the total active businesses at local unit level.
Residential Building Permits: 2023
… 1,695 building permits for a total of 8,112 new dwellings were approved.
… the highest numbers of both building permits and approved new dwellings were recorded in the Northern Harbour district at 458 permits and 2,211 new dwellings respectively.
… the majority of newly approved dwellings in MALTA consisted of apartments (70.9 per cent), followed by penthouses with 1,271 units.
5.1 Road Transport
Licences: 2023
… licensed vehicles in MALTA amounted to 438,567 with largest proportion recorded in the Northern Harbour district (25.5 per cent).
… passenger cars accounted for 73.8 per cent of total licensed vehicles.
… driving licence holders amounted to 277,837, an increase of 0.4 per cent over 2022. The Northern Harbour district registered the largest number (26.1 per cent). Gozo and Comino district accounted for 9.6 per cent of the total.
Transport Indicators: 2022-2023
… as at end of 2022, the number of vehicles to 1,000 driving licence holders stood at 1,529. The Northern district registered the highest ratio of vehicles, 1,053 per 1,000 total residents, while the Southern Harbour district registered the lowest ratio with 673 vehicles per 1,000 residents.
… in 2023, the average age of passenger cars in MALTA stood at 15.73 years. The Southern Harbour district had the highest average age of passenger cars, 17.11 years, followed by the Gozo and Comino district, 16.57 years.
… in 2023, the number of public transport commuters totalled 67,241,760, with just 4.3 per cent of public transport commuters pertaining to Gozo and Comino region.
Traffic accidents: 2023
… reported traffic accidents increased by 4.5 per cent over 2022 with 35.8 per cent of total accidents recorded in the Northern Harbour district. Gozo and Comino district had the lowest registered accidents, 956 cases.
… Birkirkara was the locality with the highest rate of traffic accidents, with 1,084 cases, followed by Ħal Qormi and San Pawl Il-Baħar.
Contraventions: 2023
… traffic-related contraventions issued by Police decreased by 11.1 per cent from 2022, while those issued by Wardens decreased by 6.8 per cent. Most of these contraventions were issued in the Northern Harbour district.
… San Pawl il-Baħar recorded the highest number of contraventions issued by Wardens, totalling 17,872, whereas San Ġiljan had the highest count of contraventions issued by Transport Malta, amounting to 4,953.
… speed camera contraventions totalled 41,410. The camera which caught the most over-speeding vehicles was the one installed in Tul il-Kosta, Naxxar, totalling 7,457 contraventions.
5.2 Sea Transport
Stock of fishing vessels: 2023
… stock of fishing vessels stood at 2,729 with MPVs comprising the largest proportion, 44.4 per cent. The largest share of fishing vessels was registered in the South Eastern district, 27.9 per cent. Fishing vessels registered in the Gozo and Comino district amounted to 21.5 per cent.
Sea transport between Malta and Gozo operated by Gozo Channel Co Ltd: 2023
… passengers and vehicles travelling between Malta and Gozo increased by 15.5 per cent and 4.1 per cent, respectively, compared to 2022.
… passenger traffic originating from Ċirkewwa was busiest on Fridays and Saturdays, whereas highest numbers from Mġarr were recorded on Sundays and Saturdays.
… passengers making use of the fast ferry service amounted to 693,361, whereas total trips amounted to 7,417.
6.1 Supply-side Survey (Operators)
Collective accommodation
In 2023
… in Malta region guests reached 2,145,111, up by 24.4 per cent from 2022, while guest nights increased by 20.5 per cent.
… in Gozo and Comino region guests increased by 21.4 per cent to 108,088, while guest nights went up by 21.8 per cent.
… largest shares of guests were recorded in the Northern Harbour district (48.0 per cent of total guests). Most guest nights were also spent in the Northern Harbour district (45.6 per cent of total guest nights).
… collective accommodation in the Northern Harbour and Northern districts comprised 85.0 per cent of the non-resident guests.
… the Northern Harbour district took the largest proportion of non-resident guest nights, (49.6 per cent).
… most resident guests were registered in the Northern district accounting for 36.2 per cent while most resident guest nights were spent in the Northern Harbour district (43.0 per cent).
… the Northern district had the longest average length of stay, 5.3 nights, followed by the Northern Harbour district (4.2 nights).
… highest net occupancy rate was recorded in the Northern district at 67.3 per cent, followed by the Southern Harbour district at 61.9 per cent.
… largest share of active collective accommodation establishments was recorded in the Northern Harbour district (39.1 per cent), followed by the Southern Harbour district (21.1 per cent).
… largest proportion of bed-places was registered in the Northern Harbour district, at 45.0 per cent of the total bed-places, followed by the Northern district at 41.0 per cent.
Self-Catering Establishments in Gozo and Comino region
As at end of 2023
… total registered self-catering accommodation accounted for 78.1 per cent of total bed stock in Gozo and Comino region.
… other self-catering establishments, comprising of apartments and villas with pool, accounted for more than half of the total active holiday furnished premises.
6.2 Demand-side Surveys (Visitors)
Domestic Tourism
… in 2022, total domestic trips to and from Malta, and Gozo and Comino regions amounted to 369,000, a decrease of 5.0 per cent when compared to 2021.
Domestic tourists…
… on average stayed 2.7 nights.
… mainly belonged to the 25 to 44 age bracket (46.5 per cent).
… travelled for holiday purposes (83.9 per cent).
Malta residents who visited the Gozo and Comino region for duration of at least one night
… accounted for 72.0 per cent of total tourists (domestic + inbound) visiting this region.
… and stayed in non-rented accommodation establishments, decreased by 10.7 per cent over 2021, whereas those who stayed in rented accommodation also decreased by 6.5 per cent over the same period.
… spent an estimate of €57.8 million, 23.1 per cent less compared to 2021.
Gozo and Comino residents who travelled to Malta region
…increased significantly from 27,466 in 2021 to 37,545 in 2022.
Inbound Tourism
… in 2023, increased significantly from 2,286,597 in 2022 to 2,975,670 tourist arrivals. More than half of these tourists came to MALTA using low-cost airlines (61.3 per cent).
Inbound tourists visiting only Malta region (single centre destination)
… reached 2.8 million, a 1.3-fold increase when compared to 2022.
… were more likely to stay in rented accommodation establishments (89.9 per cent).
… on average stayed 6.6 nights, down by 0.5 nights from 2022.
… mainly travelled by low-cost airlines (61.6 per cent) and by other airlines (36.4 per cent).
… had an estimated expenditure of €2.5 billion.
Inbound tourists visiting only Gozo and Comino region (single centre destination)
… amounted to 158,378, an increase of 22.7 per cent over 2022.
… were more likely to stay in rented accommodation (73.0 per cent); the majority (63.4 per cent) opted for non-collective accommodation.
… on average stayed 9.4 nights, down by 0.5 nights when compared to 2022.
… mainly travelled by low-cost airlines (57.6 per cent) and by other airlines (42.1 per cent).
… had an estimated expenditure of €82.3 million. Non-package expenditure was almost three times higher than the package component.
Same-day Visitors to Gozo and Comino region
… in 2022, accounted for 90.8 per cent of the total inbound visitors to Gozo and Comino, totalling to 1,556,079 visitors.
Inbound tourists visiting both regions during their stay (twin centre destination)
… accounted for 2.6 per cent of the total inbound tourism trips.
… totalled 77,066, an increase of 19.7 per cent over 2022.
… were more likely to stay in rented accommodation establishments (91.2 per cent).
… on average stayed 10.2 nights, down by 0.3 of a night when compared to 2022.
… travelled mainly by low-cost airlines (54.9 per cent) and by other airlines (40.3 per cent).
… had an estimated expenditure of €88.4 million. Non-package expenditure was almost six times higher when compared to package expenditure.
6.3 Cruise Passengers
In 2023
… 309 cruise liner calls in MALTA with a total of 814,603 cruise passengers, the latter increasing by almost 1.7 times the total passengers who visited in 2022.
… 27,153 passengers spent at least one night on board their berthed cruise liner.
… 20 cruise liners in Gozo and Comino region with a total of 6,745 cruise passengers.
7.1 Agriculture: 2023
Fruit and Vegetables: 2023
… 93.8 per cent of the total quantity of vegetables, or €22.0 million, was produced in the Malta region.
… 89.8 per cent of the total quantity of fruit, or €3.5 million, was produced in Malta region.
… Gozo and Comino region yielded €1.9 million worth of vegetables and €0.2 million worth of fruit.
Livestock heads and licences: 2023
… 73.0 per cent of the total licences were registered in the Malta region, while the Gozo and Comino region accounted for the remaining 27.0 per cent.
… the highest number of reared livestock heads in the Malta region was that of pigs while in the Gozo and Comino region was that of cattle.
7.2 Fisheries: 2023
… a total of 2.0 million kilogrammes of fish landings registered in MALTA in 2023, of which 91.2 per cent were recorded by Maltese fishermen.
… the total value of fish landings by Gozitan fishermen accounted for 10.2 per cent of the total value of fish landings recorded in MALTA.
8.1 Water
Between 2018 to 2023
… water consumption in MALTA registered an increase of 12.0 per cent.
… the percentage of network losses decreased from 11.4 to 9.5 per cent.
… seasonal peaks and troughs were more pronounced in the Gozo and Comino region, characterised with sharper increases in demand during summer months.
… the reverse osmosis plant, in the Gozo and Comino region produced almost 2.0 million m3 of water, leading to a reduction of 22.9 per cent in the production of groundwater in the same region.
In 2023
.. the percentage of network losses in the region of Malta was lower than that of Gozo and Comino, with a discrepancy of 4.4 percentage points.
8.2 Waste
In 2022
… the collection of separated dry recyclables through door-to-door collection was higher than in 2018 for Malta region by 25.2 per cent and for Gozo and Comino region by 11.6 per cent.
… the collection of separated dry recyclables through bring-in sites was 17.5 per cent less than in 2018 in the Malta region, whereas in the Gozo and Comino it decreased by 38.2 per cent to 415 tonnes.
… the collection of mixed paper, plastic and metal (grey/green bag) in MALTA accounted for the largest share (89.4 per cent) of the door-to-door collection of dry recyclables and registered an increase of 20.5 per cent over 2018.
… in the Malta region, the collection of glass constituted the highest share of all materials collected through bring-in sites, at 71.7 per cent. Conversely, in the Gozo and Comino region, the collection of paper represented the highest share of all materials collected through bring-in sites, standing at 42.9 per cent.
… waste collected from civic amenity sites in Malta region increased by 2,965 tonnes over 2018 to 30,444 tonnes.
… 94.8 per cent of all waste collected from civic amenity sites in MALTA was classified as non-hazardous.
… municipal waste generation in MALTA amounted to 328,394 tonnes, an increase of 0.5 per cent for Malta region and an increase of 6.5 per cent in the Gozo and Comino region over 2018.
8.3 Renewable Energy from Photovoltaic Panels (PVs)
In 2023
… the stock of PV installations amounted to 33,818 of which 85.4 per cent were installed in the region of Malta and 14.6 per cent were in the Gozo and Comino region.
… the Northern Harbour and Western districts accounted for 43.9 per cent of the total stock of PV installations in Malta region.
… the domestic sector accounted for 93.4 per cent of the total stock of PV installations and 44.7 per cent of the total kWp.
… the commercial and public sectors accounted for 5.8 and 0.8 per cent of the total stock, and 52.7 and 2.6 per cent of the total kWp respectively.
… most energy was generated in the South Eastern and Northern Harbour districts at 22.9 and 17.4 per cent of the total GWh respectively.
… the top 9 localities – when comparing the total number of PVs installed in the domestic sector per thousand population – were all located in the Gozo and Comino region.
… the peak power rating of an average PV system in the domestic sector stood at 3.4 kWp, whereas that for the commercial and public sectors amounted to 64.6 and 21.5 kWp respectively.
… the generation of energy from grid-connected PVs increased by 6.7 per cent, totalling an estimated value of 309.3 GWh.