Malta Population
Malta had an estimated population of 579,704 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 170th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.01% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +1.89% a year.
Malta at a glance
How Malta's population is changing
Malta's population is growing fast: +1.89% a year, which works out to about +10,960 people per year, or +30 a day. Births (7.7 per 1,000) and deaths (7.3 per 1,000) alone would give +0.04% a year; net migration adds about 5,161 people a year (+0.89%). Roughly one in every 14,172 people on Earth lives in Malta.
Population of Malta since 1960
In 1960, Malta had 326,550 people. By 2025 that was 579,704 — 1.8× larger. The fastest growth came between 2014 and 2024, when the population rose by 31%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 326,550 | — |
| 1970 | 302,650 | −7.3% |
| 1980 | 316,645 | +4.6% |
| 1990 | 354,170 | +11.9% |
| 2000 | 390,087 | +10.1% |
| 2010 | 414,508 | +6.3% |
| 2020 | 515,490 | +24.4% |
| 2025 | 579,704 | +12.5% |
Malta from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Malta at about 134,072 people in 1800; the UN estimates 545,406 in 2025 (4× 1800) and projects 359,935 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2033 at 557,115 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 134,072 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 160,270 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 206,234 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 294,685 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 399,905 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 545,406 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 535,728 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 460,100 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 359,935 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Malta
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 579,704. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Pawl il-Baħar | 32,042 | GeoNames settlement | 5.53% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 2 | Birkirkara | 24,356 | GeoNames settlement | 4.20% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 3 | Mosta | 23,482 | GeoNames settlement | 4.05% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 4 | Sliema | 22,591 | GeoNames settlement | 3.90% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 5 | Qormi | 16,801 | GeoNames settlement | 2.90% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | Żabbar | 15,648 | GeoNames settlement | 2.70% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Naxxar | 14,890 | GeoNames settlement | 2.57% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | San Ġwann | 14,720 | GeoNames settlement | 2.54% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Swieqi | 14,452 | GeoNames settlement | 2.49% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Imsida | 13,713 | GeoNames settlement | 2.37% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Malta compares
Malta has almost the same population as Montenegro (623,129).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Malta | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #168 |  Suriname | 639,850 | +10% | compare → |
| #169 |  Montenegro | 623,129 | +7% | compare → |
| #171 |  Maldives | 529,676 | −9% | compare → |
| #172 |  Cape Verde | 527,326 | −9% | compare → |
Compare Malta with any country →
Same region (Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan): Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, Algeria, Iraq, Afghanistan.
Explore around Malta
Nearest countries
Malta has no land border. Closest by distance:
Libya 7,458,555 · 12.9× the population · compare
Tunisia 12,348,573 · 21.3× the population · compare
Italy 58,915,656 · 101.6× the population · compare
Albania 2,349,580 · 4.1× the population · compare
In its region
Malta is the 23rd most populous of the 23 economies in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, holding 0.1% of the region's 828,025,185 people.
Rankings featuring Malta
- Lowest birth rates #23
- Most densely populated countries #8
- Highest life expectancy #25
- Most urbanised countries #16
Cities
San Pawl il-Baħar, Birkirkara, Mosta, Sliema, Qormi, Żabbar, Naxxar, San Ġwann — all Malta's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Malta when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.