MigrantoMigration trends in Malta
Europe
Malta takes in more people than it loses: 190.4K immigrants against 43.9K emigrants. Net balance +146.5K — 26% of the country's population
568.8K
Population
190.4K
Immigrants
43.9K
Emigrants
+146.5K
Inflow
1 in 3 residents of Malta was born abroad — and 1 in 14 people born in Malta lives abroad
#114 in the world by net migration gain
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in Malta
Where people come from
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
15K immigrants · 66.4K emigrants
2000
- Roughly 1 in 20 residents was now foreign-born
2015
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 55%
- Roughly 1 in 10 residents was now foreign-born
- The gap between arrivals and departures was cut in half
2020
- The country became a destination — more people arriving than leaving
- The foreign-born population passed 100K residents
Today
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 74%
- Without migration, the population would have declined
- Net migration doubled — the surplus reached 146.5K
- Since 1990: 175.5K more foreign-born residents and roughly the same number of emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Ask Migo
Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat, with real migration data
Where to live?
Score countries, regions and cities by what matters to you
Living in Malta
See the full country overview