Indians living in Malta as likely to have a tertiary education as EU migrants

Nearly half the Indians over the age of 15 who lived in Malta in 2021 declared having a tertiary level of education, Census data shows.   

The Census published by the National Office of Statistics provides a breakdown by educational achievement of each of the 11 most represented nationalities in Malta. 

It also groups other less numerous nationalities in three groups namely those hailing from other EU member states, those hailing from other European countries which are not part of the EU and all those hailing from the rest of the world. 

The Census shows that 3,482 of the 7,286 Indians aged over 15 years of age, who lived in Malta in 2021 had a tertiary level of education of which 893 (12%) had attended a course at Masters or doctorate level. A further 852 Indians had a post-secondary level of education.   

This means that nearly 60% of Indians living in Malta three years ago had continued their studies beyond secondary level. Only 5% of Indians living in Malta had a primary level of education. 

Indians living in Malta were slightly more likely to have a tertiary education than Italians living here (45%) and slightly less than those hailing from the EU (50%). 

By contrast only 21% of Maltese people had continued their studies beyond secondary school. Among the main nationalities living in Malta only the Syrians, Albanians and the Nepalese included a lower percentage of tertiary educated respondents. 

But the lower percentage of Maltese who attended a university course is partly attributable to the higher percentage of over 65-year-olds amongst the Maltese population. This cohort is less likely to have continued their studies beyond compulsory schooling. 

In contrast foreigners living in Malta are more likely to be of a working age and therefore more likely to have continued their education beyond secondary level. 

Moreover, these statistics could reflect different educational grading systems in non-EU countries like India and the Philippines. 

But the Census dispels the impression that third country nationals are significantly less educated than residents hailing from other EU member states.   

In fact, over 35% of Filipinos and Libyans living in Malta declared having a tertiary level of education. On the other hand, the least likely to have a tertiary level of education were migrants from war torn Syria followed by Albanians (14%) and Nepalese (16%).  

Highly qualified foreigners  

The Census also suggests that foreign labour is also addressing skills shortages for highly qualified workers with a post graduate level of education.  

In fact, foreigners account for 23% of all people living in Malta who have a PhD. They also account for 32% of all people living in Malta who have a masters degree. 

Citizens hailing from other EU member states account for 53% of all foreigners living in Malta with a masters degree and for 55% of foreigners with a PhD.    

Among the listed countries migrants from Italy (17%), Bulgaria (13%) and India (12%) were the most likely to have read a masters degree or a doctorate. But the Census suggests that migrants from other EU countries are the most qualified. 

In fact, those with a post graduate level of education accounted for 23% of immigrants from other EU countries grouped together. In contrast less than 9% of the Maltese population have a similar level of education. 

Census does not reflect post 2021 trends 

The Census statistics do not fully reflect the increase in the number of workers imported by temp agencies from countries like Nepal, India and Albania in the wake of the rise of the gig economy in past five years.   

The trend became more pronounced in the years following the Census. 

Jobs Plus figures show that workers from India increased from 443 in 2016 to 5,817 in September 2021 and to 13,158 in July 2023. Workers from Nepal increased from 29 in 2016 to 2,481 in September 2021 and to 8,157 in 2023 while those from Albania increased from 62 in 2016 to 2,037 in 2021 and 3,418 in 2023. 

This means that the Census figures do not fully reflect the present-day educational make-up of the foreign population.