Malta Population (1960-2026) & Projected decline

The current population of Malta is 581,729 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 568,847 in 2024.

Since 2006, population has increased from 405K people to 582K (43.5% growth in 20 years).
For the last 20 years, Malta has had an average growth rate of 2.18% per year.
Malta is projected to reach 591K people in 2034.
Malta accounts for 0.007% of the world's population.
Malta is ranked 167/197 by population and was ranked 168th in 2006.

Malta population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	383,244	-0.82%
2099	386,421	-0.82%
2098	389,613	-0.84%
2097	392,917	-0.85%
2096	396,295	-0.92%
2095	399,956	-0.93%
2094	403,710	-0.93%
2093	407,487	-0.94%
2092	411,340	-0.98%
2091	415,407	-1%
2090	419,592	-1%
2089	423,826	-0.99%
2088	428,052	-1.04%
2087	432,556	-1.07%
2086	437,240	-1.05%
2085	441,882	-1.07%
2084	446,649	-1.09%
2083	451,551	-1.05%
2082	456,344	-1.08%
2081	461,335	-1.05%
2080	466,229	-1.03%
2079	471,100	-1.01%
2078	475,924	-1.01%
2077	480,771	-1.01%
2076	485,655	-0.93%
2075	490,208	-0.9%
2074	494,656	-0.88%
2073	499,046	-0.86%
2072	503,370	-0.83%
2071	507,604	-0.8%
2070	511,683	-0.79%
2069	515,748	-0.77%
2068	519,737	-0.72%
2067	523,520	-0.69%
2066	527,140	-0.66%
2065	530,620	-0.62%
2064	533,923	-0.58%
2063	537,029	-0.58%
2062	540,145	-0.53%
2061	543,018	-0.51%
2060	545,828	-0.5%
2059	548,562	-0.45%
2058	551,048	-0.42%
2057	553,389	-0.43%
2056	555,804	-0.43%
2055	558,190	-0.38%
2054	560,309	-0.39%
2053	562,511	-0.4%
2052	564,772	-0.41%
2051	567,078	-0.37%
2050	569,189	-0.32%
2049	571,016	-0.33%
2048	572,923	-0.36%
2047	574,977	-0.3%
2046	576,728	-0.3%
2045	578,442	-0.28%
2044	580,046	-0.27%
2043	581,639	-0.24%
2042	583,042	-0.25%
2041	584,485	-0.22%
2040	585,747	-0.22%
2039	587,035	-0.2%
2038	588,223	-0.16%
2037	589,140	-0.13%
2036	589,886	-0.1%
2035	590,469	-0.07%
2034	590,868	0.02%
2033	590,759	0.1%
2032	590,166	0.14%
2031	589,366	0.18%
2030	588,281	0.22%
2029	586,978	0.29%
2028	585,310	0.34%
2027	583,310	0.37%
2026	581,144	0.95%
2025	575,661	1.2%
2024	568,847	2.91%
2023	552,747	4.07%
2022	531,113	2.5%
2021	518,150	0.52%
2020	515,490	2.3%
2019	503,912	4.13%
2018	483,903	3.6%
2017	467,106	2.77%
2016	454,505	2.32%
2015	444,220	2.48%
2014	433,481	2.04%
2013	424,810	1.14%
2012	420,028	0.9%
2011	416,268	0.42%
2010	414,508	0.49%
2009	412,477	0.76%
2008	409,379	0.65%
2007	406,724	0.35%
2006	405,308	0.37%
2005	403,834	0.64%
2004	401,268	0.67%
2003	398,582	0.66%
2002	395,969	0.75%
2001	393,028	0.75%
2000	390,087	0.65%
1999	387,578	0.59%
1998	385,287	0.65%
1997	382,791	0.76%
1996	379,905	0.66%
1995	377,419	0.7%
1994	374,797	0.94%
1993	371,308	1%
1992	367,618	1.04%
1991	363,845	2.73%
1990	354,170	0.98%
1989	350,722	0.98%
1988	347,325	0.82%
1987	344,485	0.69%
1986	342,121	1.68%
1985	336,452	1.77%
1984	330,593	0.02%
1983	330,524	1.42%
1982	325,898	2.17%
1981	318,982	0.74%
1980	316,645	1.05%
1979	313,342	1.02%
1978	310,182	1.05%
1977	306,970	0.39%
1976	305,774	0.51%
1975	304,222	0.74%
1974	301,996	-0.07%
1973	302,200	-0.08%
1972	302,450	-0.08%
1971	302,700	0.02%
1970	302,650	-0.54%
1969	304,300	-1.17%
1968	307,900	-1.17%
1967	311,550	-1.16%
1966	315,200	-1.13%
1965	318,800	-0.76%
1964	321,250	-0.4%
1963	322,550	-0.42%
1962	323,900	-0.42%
1961	325,250	-0.4%
1960	326,550	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/malta | CC BY

Malta has a population of 582K as of 2026, compared to 455K in 2016, 405K in 2006, and 380K in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 2.8% per year. Malta is ranked 17th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Malta will have 576,728 people (-0.86% decline) and still will be ranked 167th.

By the year 2100, Malta's population is projected to decline by 34.1% from its current level to 383K people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	5,161
2024	-	-	6,323
2023	7,033	442	6,591
2022	2,534	54	2,480
2021	4,897	259	4,638
2020	7,265	361	6,904
2019	20,957	655	20,302
2018	17,735	774	16,961
2017	15,119	747	14,372
2016	9,715	1,091	8,624
2015	10,476	888	9,588
2014	10,102	910	9,192
2013	1,668	807	861
2012	1,625	714	911
2011	1,915	916	999
2010	1,612	871	741
2009	1,661	825	836
2008	1,646	777	869
2007	1,617	691	926
2006	1,565	568	997
2005	2,353	727	1,626
2004	2,545	883	1,662
2003	2,543	917	1,626
2002	2,732	911	1,821
2001	2,739	1,061	1,678
2000	3,073	1,482	1,591
1999	2,820	1,357	1,463
1998	2,916	1,656	1,260
1997	2,994	1,991	1,003
1996	3,421	2,279	1,142
1995	3,193	1,887	1,306
1994	3,272	2,136	1,136
1993	3,457	2,451	1,006
1992	3,310	2,573	737
1991	3,201	2,438	763
1990	3,189	2,621	568
1989	3,229	2,981	248
1988	2,977	2,813	164
1987	2,707	2,412	295
1986	2,859	2,395	464
1985	2,162	2,590	-428
1984	2,120	2,678	-558
1983	1,772	2,512	-740
1982	1,776	2,835	-1,059
1981	1,685	2,233	-548
1980	1,489	2,375	-886
1979	1,541	2,852	-1,311
1978	1,087	2,389	-1,302
1977	1,318	2,916	-1,598
1976	1,080	2,721	-1,641
1975	1,087	2,829	-1,742
1974	1,090	2,687	-1,597
1973	778	2,327	-1,549
1972	1,164	2,480	-1,316
1971	1,155	2,482	-1,327
1970	1,147	2,270	-1,123
1969	1,242	2,069	-827
1968	1,494	2,247	-753
1967	-1,767	2,306	-4,073
1966	-1,860	2,458	-4,318
1965	-1,683	2,646	-4,329
1964	-1,138	3,630	-4,768
1963	-1,064	3,709	-4,773
1962	-696	4,664	-5,360
1961	-351	4,748	-5,099
1960	207	5,747	-5,540

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/malta | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 5.84% of the population change in Malta is from natural causes (a gain of 6,181 people) and 94.2% is from migration (a gain of 99,652 people).

As of 2024, 199,466 residents or 37% of the population were not native-born in Malta, compared to 33,008 and 7.8% in 2010.

Malta population clock

	Malta	Rank
Current population	581729	167/197
Percent of world population	0.007%	167/197
One net population change	32.6 minutes	127/197
One birth every	1.96 hours	174/196
One death every	2.17 hours	165/196
Daily growth/decline	+44	127/197
Annual growth/decline	+16,100	127/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+2.91%	19/197
One migration net change every	1.7 hours	52/196
Annual migration change	+5,161	52/196
Foreign-born residents	199,466	112/195
Foreign-born share of population	37%	15/195

Malta population statistics

	Malta	World
Life expectancy	83.8 years	73.8 years
Average age	43 years	33.8 years
Median age	41.8 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	51.9:48.1	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	1.06 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	4,704 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Malta.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/malta | CC BY