Population growth rate in Malta
Malta: Population growth rate was 1.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population growth rate in Malta, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malta recorded 1.3% for population growth rate in 2023.
The figure is up 157.0% on the previous year and up 207.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Malta peaked at 4.2% in 2019 and was at its lowest, -0.6%, in 1966.
That places Malta 94th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth rate in Malta, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.4% | — |
| 1951 | 1.5% | -38.8% |
| 1952 | 1.5% | -0.8% |
| 1953 | 1.4% | -2.8% |
| 1954 | 1.4% | -1.6% |
| 1955 | 1.4% | -1.4% |
| 1956 | 1.3% | -4.7% |
| 1957 | 1.3% | -1.5% |
| 1958 | 0.4% | -72.1% |
| 1959 | 0.2% | -41.7% |
| 1960 | 0.1% | -65.9% |
| 1961 | -0.1% | -176.4% |
| 1962 | -0.2% | +196.4% |
| 1963 | -0.3% | +54.0% |
| 1964 | -0.4% | +46.2% |
| 1965 | -0.5% | +31.1% |
| 1966 | -0.6% | +19.5% |
| 1967 | -0.6% | -0.7% |
| 1968 | 0.4% | -167.6% |
| 1969 | 0.4% | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 0.4% | +3.4% |
| 1971 | 0.4% | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 0.4% | +5.1% |
| 1973 | 0.5% | +13.1% |
| 1974 | 0.5% | +11.4% |
| 1975 | 0.5% | +5.6% |
| 1976 | 0.6% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 0.6% | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 0.6% | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 0.6% | -2.3% |
| 1981 | 0.5% | -2.0% |
| 1982 | 0.6% | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 0.6% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 0.6% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 0.6% | +5.7% |
| 1986 | 0.8% | +40.7% |
| 1987 | 0.9% | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | +4.2% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | +3.7% |
| 1990 | 0.9% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 0.9% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 0.8% | -8.4% |
| 1995 | 0.8% | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 0.8% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 0.8% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 0.8% | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 0.8% | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 0.7% | -5.5% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | -5.4% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 0.4% | -30.4% |
| 2007 | 0.4% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 0.4% | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 0.4% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 0.4% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | +9.9% |
| 2012 | 0.4% | -9.6% |
| 2013 | 0.4% | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | +464.0% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 2.2% | -10.2% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | +52.3% |
| 2018 | 3.7% | +12.1% |
| 2019 | 4.2% | +12.9% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | -65.9% |
| 2021 | 0.9% | -33.1% |
| 2022 | 0.5% | -47.2% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | +157.0% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 1.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%, 2.6× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Malta's 1.3% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.6%, 80% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rate in Malta changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +464.0% | 0.4% | 2.4% |
| 1962 | -196.4% | -0.1% | -0.2% |
| 1961 | -176.4% | 0.1% | -0.1% |
| 1968 | +167.6% | -0.6% | 0.4% |
| 2023 | +157.0% | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| 1958 | -72.1% | 1.3% | 0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.3% | 0.2% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | -0.2% | -0.6% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 0.4% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 0.5% | 1.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More population data for Malta
- Demographic balances and indicators by type of projection and NUTS 3 -0.2548 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.4258 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.8129 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.3593 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.8129 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.8% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 11,503 people (2100)
- Population density 1,125 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.8% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.02 % change on previous year (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth rate in Malta?
- Population growth rate in Malta was 1.3% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 4.2% in 2019.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.6% in 1966.
- How does Malta rank for population growth rate?
- Malta ranks 94th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is up 207.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malta data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.