Population growth in Malta
Malta: Population growth was 1.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Malta, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Malta recorded 1.9% for population growth in 2025.
The figure is down 34.2% on the previous year and down 22.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Malta peaked at 4.1% in 2019 and was at its lowest, -1.2%, in 1968.
Malta ranks 53rd of 218 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth in Malta, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -0.4% | — |
| 1962 | -0.4% | +4.3% |
| 1963 | -0.4% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | -0.4% | -3.3% |
| 1965 | -0.8% | +89.6% |
| 1966 | -1.1% | +48.3% |
| 1967 | -1.2% | +2.6% |
| 1968 | -1.2% | +1.2% |
| 1969 | -1.2% | -0.2% |
| 1970 | -0.5% | -53.8% |
| 1971 | 0.0% | -103.0% |
| 1972 | -0.1% | -600.2% |
| 1973 | -0.1% | +0.1% |
| 1974 | -0.1% | -18.3% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | -1187.5% |
| 1976 | 0.5% | -30.7% |
| 1977 | 0.4% | -23.3% |
| 1978 | 1.0% | +166.6% |
| 1979 | 1.0% | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 1.0% | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 0.7% | -29.9% |
| 1982 | 2.1% | +191.7% |
| 1983 | 1.4% | -34.3% |
| 1984 | 0.0% | -98.5% |
| 1985 | 1.8% | +8316.1% |
| 1986 | 1.7% | -4.9% |
| 1987 | 0.7% | -58.8% |
| 1988 | 0.8% | +19.2% |
| 1989 | 1.0% | +18.5% |
| 1990 | 1.0% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 2.7% | +175.5% |
| 1992 | 1.0% | -61.7% |
| 1993 | 1.0% | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | -6.4% |
| 1995 | 0.7% | -25.5% |
| 1996 | 0.7% | -5.8% |
| 1997 | 0.8% | +15.3% |
| 1998 | 0.6% | -14.1% |
| 1999 | 0.6% | -8.8% |
| 2000 | 0.6% | +8.8% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | +16.4% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | -11.8% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | -5.1% |
| 2006 | 0.4% | -42.8% |
| 2007 | 0.3% | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 0.7% | +86.6% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | +15.9% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | -34.8% |
| 2011 | 0.4% | -13.7% |
| 2012 | 0.9% | +112.2% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | +25.9% |
| 2014 | 2.0% | +78.5% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | +21.1% |
| 2016 | 2.3% | -6.5% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | +19.5% |
| 2018 | 3.5% | +29.2% |
| 2019 | 4.1% | +14.7% |
| 2020 | 2.3% | -43.9% |
| 2021 | 0.5% | -77.3% |
| 2022 | 2.5% | +380.1% |
| 2023 | 4.0% | +61.6% |
| 2024 | 2.9% | -28.1% |
| 2025 | 1.9% | -34.2% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 1.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.4%, 4.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Malta's 1.9% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.6%, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in Malta changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +8316.1% | 0.0% | 1.8% |
| 1975 | +1187.5% | -0.1% | 0.7% |
| 1972 | -600.2% | 0.0% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | +380.1% | 0.5% | 2.5% |
| 1982 | +191.7% | 0.7% | 2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.8% | -1.2% | -0.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.3% | -0.5% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 0.0% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.6% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 0.4% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 0.5% | 4.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More climate change data for Malta
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 611,521 kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 109.61 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 21.84 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 87.78 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.0824 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3.13 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 4.61 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 4.53 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 0.0784 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0171 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Malta?
- Population growth in Malta was 1.9% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 4.1% in 2019.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.2% in 1968.
- How does Malta rank for population growth?
- Malta ranks 53rd out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malta data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.