Migranto

Immigrants in Malta

190.4K foreign-born residents — the #114 largest immigrant population in the world

#114 worldwide#32 in Europe

Where immigrants come from

The top 3 countries account for 46% of all immigrants

Largest source

54.7K

28.7% of all immigrants

2Australia74%22.8K11.9%
3Canada74%9.2K4.9%
4Italy74%8.2K4.3%
5Somalia74%7.1K3.7%
6Libya74%6.6K3.5%
7USA74%6.3K3.3%
8Syria74%5.6K3.0%

↑↓ — change vs 2020

CountryImmigrants
United Kingdom54739
Australia22753
Canada9242
Italy8204
Somalia7128
Libya6607
USA6313
Syria5635
Germany5160
Russia4980
Bulgaria4743
Romania3556
Eritrea3516
Serbia2890
Philippines2512
Egypt2451
Sweden2439
France2253
Netherlands2228
China1870
Ethiopia1797
Nigeria1782
Tunisia1684
Ukraine1509
Ireland1424
India1375
Poland1302
Turkey1203
Morocco1166
Pakistan954
South Africa909
Belgium869
Bosnia859
Spain787
Hungary749
Sudan702
Denmark683
Austria575
Thailand556
Switzerland537
Slovakia530
Brazil499
Iraq428
Czech Republic421
Finland407
Latvia398
Albania398
Greece398
Croatia377
Ghana349
Norway341
Lebanon332
Kuwait295
Portugal295
Algeria269
Japan233
Cyprus228
Lithuania228
New Zealand221
Palestine209
Georgia202
Malaysia200
Jordan200
Niger191
Zimbabwe184
Moldova172
Kenya167
Singapore155
Iran151
North Macedonia151
Armenia141
Peru141
Saudi Arabia134
UAE130
Indonesia110
Slovenia106
Uzbekistan97
Sri Lanka85
Trinidad and Tobago61
Israel54
Argentina49
Bangladesh38
Belarus31

By region of origin

Europe is the leading region of origin at 55%

Europe55.0%

104.7K

Africa15.2%

28.9K

Oceania12.1%

23K

North America8.2%

15.6K

Middle East4.8%

9.2K

Asia4.4%

8.3K

Latin America0.4%

750

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Interesting facts

Notable statistics about immigration in Malta.

Immigration is a key driver of population growth

82% of the population growth of Malta since 1990 came from new immigrants, reflecting immigration's central demographic role.

Immigration has accelerated notably since 2020

The immigrant population grew 74% from 109.6K to 190.4K, indicating an acceleration in migration flows following COVID and recent geopolitical shifts.

A significant share of residents were born abroad

1 in 3 residents of Malta is foreign-born — 190.4K out of 568.8K, representing 33.5% of the population.

United Kingdom is the leading source of immigration by a wide margin

United Kingdom accounts for 29% of all immigrants, far ahead of the second-largest source at just 12%.

How immigration changed over time

Total immigrant population by year

YearImmigrants
199014979
199517594
200021358
200524291
201032323
201550260
2020109571
2024190447

Top sources over time

Immigration from the 5 largest source countries

United Kingdom Australia Canada Italy Somalia
YearUnited KingdomAustraliaCanadaItalySomalia
19905333343513856657
19956258402216227789
200073134128160396810
2005800540161519111814
201084823461149311983723
2015143616006244021661882
20203149413091531747204101
20245473922753924282047128

Fastest-changing origins

How immigration from each country has changed since the selected year

Indonesia110+75%
Argentina49+75%
United Kingdom54.7K+74%
Australia22.8K+74%
Canada9.2K+74%
Italy8.2K+74%
Somalia7.1K+74%
Libya6.6K+74%

Malta as a destination, by diaspora

Share of each country's emigrants who settled in Malta

Australia5%22.8K
Libya4%6.6K
United Kingdom1%54.7K
Canada1%9.2K

Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)

Frequently asked questions

How many immigrants live in Malta?

Around 190.4K foreign-born residents live in Malta, making it the #114-largest immigrant population in the world.

Where do most immigrants in Malta come from?

Most immigrants in Malta come from United Kingdom, Australia and Canada — these three countries account for about 46% of all foreign-born residents.

What share of the population of Malta are immigrants?

Immigrants make up around 33% of the population of Malta — that's 190.4K out of a total population of 568.8K.

How has immigration to Malta changed over the past decade?

Over the past decade, the immigrant population in Malta has grown from 50.3K to 190.4K people, a growth of about 279%.

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