Malta
- Capital:
- Valletta
- Continent:
- Europe
- Region(s):
- Southern Europe
- Largest Cities:
- San Pawl il-Bahar, Birkirkara, Mosta
- Abbreviation:
- MLT
549,011
As of Jan 1, 2026 - Source
549,011
As of Jan 1, 2026 - Source
Malta's population is projected to be 368,943 by 2097.
Historical
Switch the toggle to see projected data.
| Year ↓ | Population | Change | Pop. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 549,011 | 0.92% | 173 |
| 2025 | 545,405 | 1.03% | 173 |
| 2020 | 518,207 | 2.82% | 173 |
| 2019 | 504,015 | 4.01% | 174 |
| 2018 | 484,558 | 3.56% | 174 |
| 2017 | 467,902 | 2.77% | 174 |
| 2015 | 444,981 | 1.03% | 174 |
| 2010 | 422,651 | 0.45% | 173 |
| 2005 | 413,320 | 0.66% | 173 |
| 2000 | 399,895 | 0.79% | 175 |
| Year ↑ | Population | Change | Pop. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 549,011 | 0.92% | 173 |
| 2032 | 556,777 | 0.21% | 173 |
| 2037 | 555,097 | -0.06% | 174 |
| 2042 | 549,119 | -0.22% | 175 |
| 2047 | 541,207 | -0.29% | 176 |
| 2052 | 531,486 | -0.36% | 176 |
| 2057 | 520,715 | -0.41% | 178 |
| 2062 | 507,861 | -0.5% | 179 |
| 2067 | 491,870 | -0.64% | 179 |
| 2072 | 472,615 | -0.8% | 179 |
26.7K
5.9K
11.8K
44.4K
San Pawl il-Bahar has a metropolitan area population of 44,432, comprising 8.09%% of Malta's total population.
| Rank | City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | % of National Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Pawl il-Bahar | 44,432 | 8.09% |
| 2 | Birkirkara | 31,607 | 5.76% |
| 3 | Mosta | 26,684 | 4.86% |
| 4 | Sliema | 23,978 | 4.37% |
| 5 | Qormi | 20,964 | 3.82% |
| 6 | Marsascala | 19,840 | 3.61% |
| 7 | Naxxar | 18,943 | 3.45% |
| 8 | Zabbar | 18,435 | 3.36% |
| 9 | Msida | 18,053 | 3.29% |
| 10 | San Gwann | 16,928 | 3.08% |
As of 2026, Malta has a total population of 549,011, ranking as the 173rd most populous nation in the world.
Malta has a net population change of approximately 6 people per day, driven by 12 births, 12 deaths, and net immigration of 6 people.
Malta represents < 0.01% of the total global population and 0.07% of Europe's population.
Malta has a population density of 1715.7 people per km² (approximately 4443.5 per mi²), making it the 8th most densely populated country in the world.
Currently, 100% of the population resides in urban areas.
*Rates last updated: June 16, 2026
As of 2026, the largest ethnicity in Malta is Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with strong elements of Italian and Other Mediterranean stock) .
As of 2026, Roman Catholic (official) is the largest religion in Malta, comprising 90% of the population.