Pandemic Responsible For Malta's Smallest Population Increase In A Decade

Malta’s local population experienced its smallest increase in over a decade during the pandemic.

Figures published by the National Statistics Office show that the population grew by just 1,536 persons, compared to 21,005 in 2019. That’s an increase of 0.3%, the biggest drop in annual growth in the entire EU.

The mortality rate was also on the rise in 2020 with resident deaths up by 10.7% from 3,688 to 4,084. Of the 4,084 resident deaths registered, 65.6 per cent were persons aged 75 and over.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on demographics was felt not only in Malta but also throughout the European bloc, with the total population of the EU shrinking by 0.1 per cent or approximately 312,000 persons in 2020.