Malta population pyramid 2026
549,011 people in 2026 (projected). Malta turned from a country of emigrants into one of immigrants: its 2026 pyramid bulges with working-age men, about 124 per 100 women at ages 30–34.
- 2026 population
- 549Krank 173 of 237
- Median age
- 41.5 yearsoldest rank 51
- Fertility rate
- 1.12births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older20.9% age 65+
Malta population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Malta age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 12.8% of the population, while 20.9% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 66.3% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Malta’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 50.8: about 51 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (19.3 children and 31.5 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Malta’s population pyramid
From departure to arrival
For most of the twentieth century Malta sent people abroad, chiefly to Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada; net migration between 1950 and 1999 was a loss of about 63,000. The older bands still carry traces of that era and of the war. In 1975 the 30–34 band, born during the wartime siege of the islands, was about 30% smaller than the band below, though emigration in the 1950s and 1960s also thinned it. In 2026 a bulge at 65–69 marks the cohorts born 1957–61, and a notch at 55–59 marks those born 1967–71, after fertility had fallen from about 3.6 in 1960 to about 2.1 in 1970.
Since the 2000s, and especially after EU accession in 2004, the flow has run strongly the other way. Net migration added about 117,000 people between 2000 and 2023, and the population rose from about 400,000 to about 549,000 in 2026. The newcomers are mostly working-age and disproportionately male, and the effect on the pyramid is striking: the bands from 30 to 49 are the widest, and the sex ratio reaches about 120 men per 100 women at 25–29 and 124 at 30–34. Overall Malta has about 108 men per 100 women, unusual for a European country.
Very low fertility at the base
Below this immigrant middle the pyramid narrows sharply. Malta’s total fertility rate is about 1.1 (see the lowest fertility rates ranking), and the 0–4 band is less than half as large as the 35–39 band. In 2026 deaths are projected to exceed births for the first time, by about a hundred. The age structure most resembles those of Cyprus, Poland and Lithuania.
Under the medium scenario the population peaks at about 557,000 in 2033 and the median age rises to about 53 by 2050, when the pyramid has the constrictive shape of a country whose large working-age cohorts have reached their sixties.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Malta’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Deaths have exceeded births every year since 2026. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2010 and 2015.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Malta is projected to record 4,222 births (about 12 births a day) and 4,337 deaths, a natural decrease of 115. Net migration adds +2,157 people, ranking #31 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 99,909 births, 78,732 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +116,796. Over that period migration moved the total more than the balance of births and deaths did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +34,678 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 85.6 years65.0 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 81.9 years62.0 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 21.8 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 4.4per 1,000 births · 75 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 5.2per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 31.3 yearssex ratio at birth 106.8
Women in Malta are projected to live 3.7 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 75 to 4.4 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #185 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 31.3 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Malta
The median age of 41.5 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.12 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 83.8 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 549,011 | #173 | Largest first |
| Median age | 41.5 years | #51 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.12 | #223 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +0.4% | #151 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 83.8 years | #17 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 20.9% | #41 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Malta
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35–39 | 50,933 | 9.3% | 27.7K / 23.2K |
| 2 | 30–34 | 46,769 | 8.5% | 25.9K / 20.9K |
| 3 | 40–44 | 46,084 | 8.4% | 25.2K / 20.8K |
| 4 | 45–49 | 41,171 | 7.5% | 22.3K / 18.9K |
| 5 | 50–54 | 35,692 | 6.5% | 19K / 16.6K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Malta has 285,256 males and 263,755 females. That is 108.2 males per 100 females, ranking #17 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 52.0% of the population and females for 48.0%. There are 21,501 more males than females overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 86.5 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 106.8 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Malta has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 294,680 in 1950 to 549,011 in 2026, a change of 86%. Over the same span, median age moved from 23.6 to 41.5 years.
The under-15 share changed from 35.1% to 12.8%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 7.3% to 20.9%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Malta’s population is projected to decline by about 2%, reaching 535,722 in 2050. The median age changes from 41.5 to 53.0 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 9.7 percentage points to 30.6%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 9.5%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest projected population of 557,108 in 2033. That turning point depends on the medium scenario and may move in later revisions. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 294,680 | 23.6 | 4.23 | 63.5 | 8,673 | 3,775 | +2,222 | +2.4% |
| 1960 | 330,820 | 22.7 | 3.63 | 68.4 | 8,844 | 3,053 | −5,540 | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 326,011 | 24.7 | 2.07 | 70.4 | 5,533 | 3,131 | −1,123 | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 342,877 | 29.0 | 1.99 | 72.3 | 6,045 | 3,268 | −886 | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 367,908 | 32.0 | 2.04 | 76.2 | 5,605 | 2,774 | +568 | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 399,895 | 35.5 | 1.67 | 77.9 | 4,490 | 3,145 | +1,591 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 422,651 | 38.6 | 1.38 | 81.4 | 4,047 | 2,912 | +741 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 518,206 | 38.9 | 1.13 | 82.3 | 4,393 | 3,925 | +6,904 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 532,956 | 40.3 | 1.10 | 83.3 | 4,213 | 3,928 | +6,591 | +1.3% |
| 2024* | 539,607 | 40.7 | 1.11 | 83.5 | 4,212 | 4,109 | +6,323 | +1.2% |
| 2026* | 549,011 | 41.5 | 1.12 | 83.8 | 4,222 | 4,337 | +2,157 | +0.4% |
| 2030* | 555,232 | 43.3 | 1.15 | 84.3 | 3,905 | 4,791 | +1,906 | +0.2% |
| 2040* | 551,735 | 48.4 | 1.21 | 85.6 | 3,307 | 5,763 | +1,270 | -0.2% |
| 2050* | 535,722 | 53.0 | 1.26 | 86.8 | 3,374 | 6,174 | +817 | -0.4% |
| 2060* | 513,364 | 54.8 | 1.30 | 88.0 | 3,073 | 6,501 | +780 | -0.5% |
| 2070* | 480,568 | 55.9 | 1.34 | 89.1 | 2,715 | 7,266 | +705 | -0.8% |
| 2080* | 437,324 | 56.4 | 1.37 | 90.2 | 2,588 | 7,704 | +495 | -1.1% |
| 2090* | 393,682 | 55.8 | 1.39 | 91.2 | 2,479 | 6,839 | +415 | -1.0% |
| 2100* | 359,932 | 55.1 | 1.41 | 92.3 | 2,237 | 5,429 | +295 | -0.8% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 11,228 | 10,463 | 21,691 | 4.0% |
| 5–9 | 12,380 | 11,523 | 23,903 | 4.4% |
| 10–14 | 12,797 | 11,707 | 24,504 | 4.5% |
| 15–19 | 12,467 | 11,617 | 24,084 | 4.4% |
| 20–24 | 13,704 | 12,364 | 26,068 | 4.7% |
| 25–29 | 18,282 | 15,261 | 33,543 | 6.1% |
| 30–34 | 25,886 | 20,883 | 46,769 | 8.5% |
| 35–39 | 27,721 | 23,212 | 50,933 | 9.3% |
| 40–44 | 25,247 | 20,837 | 46,084 | 8.4% |
| 45–49 | 22,276 | 18,895 | 41,171 | 7.5% |
| 50–54 | 19,049 | 16,643 | 35,692 | 6.5% |
| 55–59 | 15,587 | 14,204 | 29,791 | 5.4% |
| 60–64 | 15,413 | 14,588 | 30,001 | 5.5% |
| 65–69 | 15,517 | 15,608 | 31,125 | 5.7% |
| 70–74 | 13,491 | 14,092 | 27,583 | 5.0% |
| 75–79 | 12,194 | 13,725 | 25,919 | 4.7% |
| 80–84 | 7,208 | 9,097 | 16,305 | 3.0% |
| 85–89 | 3,237 | 5,233 | 8,470 | 1.5% |
| 90–94 | 1,289 | 2,833 | 4,122 | 0.8% |
| 95–99 | 249 | 800 | 1,049 | 0.2% |
| 100+ | 35 | 173 | 208 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Malta’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Cyprus94% overlap · median age 39.1
- Poland93% overlap · median age 43.0
- Ukraine93% overlap · median age 41.8
- Macao93% overlap · median age 40.3
- Lithuania93% overlap · median age 42.6
- Canada92% overlap · median age 40.8
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Malta.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Malta Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/malta/
MLA
“Malta Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/malta/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Malta Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/malta/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Malta in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Malta's population in 2026 is projected at 549,011.
What is the median age in Malta?
The projected median age in Malta in 2026 is 41.5 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Malta?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.12 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Malta's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 2%, from 549K to 535.7K.
What share of Malta is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 20.9% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 30.6%.
How many babies are born in Malta each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 4,222 births and 4,337 deaths in 2026, about 12 births a day. Deaths exceed births by 115.
What is life expectancy in Malta for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 85.6 years for women and 81.9 years for men, a gap of 3.7 years in favour of women.
Does Malta have more immigrants or emigrants?
Malta is projected to gain about 2,157 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +116,796.
What is the sex ratio in Malta?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 108.2 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.