Around One in Three Residents in Malta Were Born Abroad, New Data Suggests

Malta is now among the European Union countries with the highest proportion of residents born abroad, with the latest Eurostat figures suggesting that around one in every three people living on the island was born abroad.

Recent European reports place Malta second in the EU, behind only Luxembourg, with the foreign-born population estimated at around 32 per cent of the total population. Other countries with relatively high shares include Cyprus, Ireland, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Belgium and Spain.

If confirmed in the final statistical release, the figure would place Malta well above the European Union average, which is estimated at around 14.2 per cent.

Although the exact percentage currently being circulated should be treated cautiously until matched directly with the final Eurostat table, the wider trend is already well established. Earlier Eurostat-based reporting for the beginning of 2024 had already placed Malta at around 30.8 per cent, also ranking it second in the European Union after Luxembourg.

The figures highlight the extent of Malta’s demographic transformation in recent years. In a small and densely populated country, changes in population structure are often felt more immediately than in larger European states, where demographic shifts are spread across wider territories.

Recent Eurostat data also show that Malta continues to register one of the highest immigration rates in the EU relative to its population, helping to explain the rapid increase in the number of foreign-born residents over the past decade.

This growth reflects broader changes in the Maltese economy, which has become increasingly reliant on foreign workers in sectors such as construction, tourism, hospitality, transport, care work and other services.

As a result, migration has become one of the main factors shaping Malta’s contemporary population profile and labour market.

Whether the final confirmed figure remains at 32 per cent or is revised slightly, the overall picture is unlikely to change: Malta is now firmly among the EU member states with the highest share of residents born abroad, underlining how significantly the country’s demographic landscape has changed in a relatively short period.