How many people live in Malta right now?
Right now, according to UN estimates
549,632
| Today | In 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Births | · | · |
| Deaths | · | · |
| Net migration | · | · |
| Growth | · | · |
2026 figures
- Rank by population
- 173 of 237
- Share of world population
- 0.0066%
- Median age
- 41.5 years
- Children per woman
- 1.12
- Life expectancy
- 83.8 years
- People per km²
- 1,743
According to UN estimates, about 549,632 people live in Malta right now. It ranks 173rd out of 237 countries and territories by population, between Western Sahara and the Maldives, and it is home to one in every 15,100 people on the planet.
Every day, about 12 people are born there and about 12 die. More people arrive than leave: net migration adds about 2,200 people a year. More people die than are born, and it is immigration that keeps the population growing. Overall, the population grows by about 6 people a day (0.37% a year).
In 1950, about 294,680 people lived there. Since then, the population has grown by 87%. The UN expects it to peak around 2033, at about 557,108, and then begin to fall. By 2050 it is projected to have about 535,722 people (3% fewer than today), and by 2100 about 359,932.
Half of its people are younger than 42 (worldwide, 31). Women have an average of 1.12 children each, below the 2.1 needed for each generation to replace the one before, and life expectancy at birth is 84 years (worldwide, 74). There are 1,743 people per square kilometer.
UN estimates up to today and projections (medium variant) from today onward.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Malta in 2026?
- Malta has about 549,632 people right now, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. On July 1, 2026, there were 549,011.
- How many people are born each day in Malta?
- About 12 a day (4,200 a year). About 12 people die each day (4,300 a year).
- Is the population of Malta growing?
- Yes: it grows by 0.37% a year, or about 2,000 people.
- What will the population of Malta be in 2050?
- According to the UN projection (medium variant), about 535,722, with a peak around 2033 at about 557,108.
- Why doesn't this figure match the country's official statistics?
- The UN estimates the population of every country with the same method, based on censuses, surveys and registers, and projects it year by year. Each national statistics office uses its own censuses and registers, which may be more up to date or count foreign residents differently. That is why the figures can differ slightly.
Countries with a similar population
- Suriname 646,932
- Montenegro 625,164
- Western Sahara 613,811
- Maldives 532,122
- Cape Verde 530,339
- Brunei 470,843
More countries in Europe
- Russia 143,283,457
- Germany 83,580,398
- United Kingdom 70,045,943
- France 66,775,468
- Italy 58,850,911
- Spain 47,835,427
- Ukraine 39,443,606
- Poland 37,796,218
- Romania 18,766,014
- Netherlands 18,476,980
- Belgium 11,779,072
- Sweden 10,713,757
All countries and territories →
Where these figures come from
The figures are estimates from the United Nations Population Division, published in World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant): the reference used by international organizations and by most population counters. The UN estimates how many people there are on July 1 of each year and how many are born, die and migrate; between one date and the next, this counter spreads the change continuously, second by second.
It is not a real-time headcount: nobody can count every person in a country at once. It is the best available estimate, and it may differ slightly from the figures of each country's statistics office, which use their own censuses and population registers.