Population in Valletta, Three Cities shrink, while towns increase influx of foreign residents

Malta’s capital city, Valletta, has experienced a decline in its resident population over the last decade, while six towns now have a majority of non-Maltese residents.

According to a new analysis by The Shift, based on population trends over the last decade, provided by the NSO (National  Statistics Office), Malta’s capital has continued to experience a significant decline in its resident population.

While in 2014, Valletta had 5,446 residents, this number decreased to 5,197 in 2024, representing a 5% decline.

The number of Maltese leaving Valletta is even higher, as the number of Maltese residents has declined to 4,406, representing an 800-person decrease over the past decade. Their loss was partially replaced by non-Maltese residents, who chose the capital as their new home.

The analysis shows that while almost all Maltese localities registered a significant increase in their population, primarily due to immigration, Valletta and a few others were exceptions.

The Cottonera three cities, Bormla, Isla, and Birgu, all registered a decline in their overall population between 2014 and 2024. As in Valletta, while the Maltese left the three cities in droves, many non-Maltese made set up home there.

The other Maltese localities that registered a decrease in population were Mtarfa, Mdina, and Santa Lucija.

Six localities have a foreign majority in their population

Unlike 2014, when all localities had an overwhelmingly Maltese population, the situation has changed drastically in 2024.

Gzira, Msida, St Paul’s Bay, St Julian’s, Sliema, and Pieta now have more non-Maltese residents than Maltese.

Gzira has by far the largest predominance of foreign residents, which include both EU and third-country nationals, reaching 67% of the population, more than double the situation in 2014.

Statistics show that the number of non-Maltese residing in Gzira increased from 2,059 in 2014 to 7,206 in 2024.

In terms of volume, St Paul’s Bay experienced the most significant difference. While there were 5,309 non-Maltese residents in 2014, this number increased to 25,244 in 2024, representing a rise of almost 500%.

As expected, the big towns, such as Qormi, Birkirkara, Marsascala, Sliema, and others, all registered massive increases in the number of non-Maltese residents. However, the southern village of Tarxien registered the most significant increase per capita.

The once relatively small village reached a population of 10,048 by the end of 2024, registering an increase in its non-Maltese residents of over 2,000 percent in a decade.

This was followed by Qormi (+1577%) and the small village of Gharghur (+1220%).

The latter, once a typical Maltese village, has seen its population almost double in ten years and has been ravaged by blocks of flats replacing the townhouses that once distinguished the charming rural locality.