MigrantoImmigrants in Malta
190.4K foreigners live in Malta — 33% of the country's population
Immigrants in Malta by country
The 3 largest groups make up 46% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 54739 |
| Australia | 22753 |
| Canada | 9242 |
| Italy | 8204 |
| Somalia | 7128 |
| Libya | 6607 |
| USA | 6313 |
| Syria | 5635 |
| Germany | 5160 |
| Russia | 4980 |
| Bulgaria | 4743 |
| Romania | 3556 |
| Eritrea | 3516 |
| Serbia | 2890 |
| Philippines | 2512 |
| Egypt | 2451 |
| Sweden | 2439 |
| France | 2253 |
| Netherlands | 2228 |
| China | 1870 |
| Ethiopia | 1797 |
| Nigeria | 1782 |
| Tunisia | 1684 |
| Ukraine | 1509 |
| Ireland | 1424 |
| India | 1375 |
| Poland | 1302 |
| Turkey | 1203 |
| Morocco | 1166 |
| Pakistan | 954 |
| South Africa | 909 |
| Belgium | 869 |
| Bosnia | 859 |
| Spain | 787 |
| Hungary | 749 |
| Sudan | 702 |
| Denmark | 683 |
| Austria | 575 |
| Thailand | 556 |
| Switzerland | 537 |
| Slovakia | 530 |
| Brazil | 499 |
| Iraq | 428 |
| Czech Republic | 421 |
| Finland | 407 |
| Latvia | 398 |
| Albania | 398 |
| Greece | 398 |
| Croatia | 377 |
| Ghana | 349 |
| Norway | 341 |
| Lebanon | 332 |
| Kuwait | 295 |
| Portugal | 295 |
| Algeria | 269 |
| Japan | 233 |
| Cyprus | 228 |
| Lithuania | 228 |
| New Zealand | 221 |
| Palestine | 209 |
| Georgia | 202 |
| Malaysia | 200 |
| Jordan | 200 |
| Niger | 191 |
| Zimbabwe | 184 |
| Moldova | 172 |
| Kenya | 167 |
| Singapore | 155 |
| Iran | 151 |
| North Macedonia | 151 |
| Armenia | 141 |
| Peru | 141 |
| Saudi Arabia | 134 |
| UAE | 130 |
| Indonesia | 110 |
| Slovenia | 106 |
| Uzbekistan | 97 |
| Sri Lanka | 85 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 61 |
| Israel | 54 |
| Argentina | 49 |
| Bangladesh | 38 |
| Belarus | 31 |
By region of origin
55% of immigrants come from Europe
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Key facts
Immigrants in Malta in numbers
Immigration drives population growth
82% of the population growth of Malta since 1990 came from immigrants.
The immigrant population has grown 74% since 2020
The number of foreigners living in Malta rose from 109.6K to 190.4K in four years.
1 in 3 residents of Malta was born abroad
190.4K of 568.8K residents were born abroad — 33.5% of the population.
British are the largest group by a wide margin
29% of all immigrants were born in the UK, while the next group accounts for just 12%.
The map of origins has changed since 1990
4 countries have entered the top 20 origins since 1990: Somalia, Eritrea, Sweden. Somalia climbed from outside the top 20 to #5.
The share of immigrants from Oceania has declined since 1990
23% of immigrants came from Oceania in 1990, compared with 12.1% today.
Immigrant population in Malta over time
Foreigners living in Malta, by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 14979 |
| 1995 | 17594 |
| 2000 | 21358 |
| 2005 | 24291 |
| 2010 | 32323 |
| 2015 | 50260 |
| 2020 | 109571 |
| 2024 | 190447 |
Largest groups over time
The 5 largest groups in Malta, by year
| Year | British | Australians | Canadians | Italians | Somalis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5333 | 3435 | 1385 | 665 | 7 |
| 1995 | 6258 | 4022 | 1622 | 778 | 9 |
| 2000 | 7313 | 4128 | 1603 | 968 | 10 |
| 2005 | 8005 | 4016 | 1519 | 1118 | 14 |
| 2010 | 8482 | 3461 | 1493 | 1198 | 3723 |
| 2015 | 14361 | 6006 | 2440 | 2166 | 1882 |
| 2020 | 31494 | 13091 | 5317 | 4720 | 4101 |
| 2024 | 54739 | 22753 | 9242 | 8204 | 7128 |
Fastest-changing groups
How each group's numbers have changed since the selected year
Share of each diaspora living in Malta
Of each group's emigrants worldwide, the share who live in Malta
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in Malta?
Around 190.4K immigrants live in Malta — the world's #114 largest immigrant population.
What percentage 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.
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 immigrants.
How many British live in Malta?
Around 54.7K British live in Malta — about 29% of all immigrants, the largest group.
Is the immigrant population in Malta growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of immigrants in Malta has grown from 50.3K to 190.4K, about 279%.
Where does the data on immigrants in Malta come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born abroad who now live in Malta. Their children born in Malta are not included.
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Living in Malta
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