Nearly a quarter of Malta’s population aged 60 in 2013

Nearly a quarter of the total Maltese population – 105,068 persons – were aged at least 60 in 2013, the National Statistics Office reported.

Women accounted for 54.3% of this population segment.

The United Nations on Wednesday commemorates the International Day of Older Persons.

This year’s theme is ‘Leaving No One Behind: Promoting a Society for All’.

According to country’s statistics office, 73 grooms and 32 brides aged 60 and over tied the knot during 2013: 58.1% were previously divorced while 18.1% got married for the first time.

A total of 3,235 persons passed away last year, 83.3% of which were aged 65 and over. At 43.3 per cent, diseases of the circulatory system were the main cause of these deaths, followed by neoplasms, accounting for 24.1 per cent.

23.5% of elderly ‘not able to keep their home warm in winter’

Last year, total government expenditure on retirement and old-age pensions amounted to €433 million, up by 4% when compared to 2012 levels.

Figures derived from the 2013 Statistics on Income and Living Conditions Survey show that persons over 59 years of age had an at-risk-of-poverty rate of 15.1% and an at-risk-of-poverty or social exclusion rate of 21.7%.

Survey results also revealed that 52.2% of the elderly aged 65 and over could not afford to pay for a one-week annual holiday away from home, while 21.3% could not afford to face unexpected financial expenses of at least €450.

Furthermore, 23.5% that they were not able to keep their home adequately warm in winter.

Past Labour Force Surveys reveal an increasing trend in the participation of persons aged 60 and over in employment, rising from 4.7% in 2003 to 8.8%  in 2013.

Life-long learning

It is never too late to graduate and 54 persons aged 60 and over were reading for a degree at the University of Malta during the academic year 2013-2014.

Around 51.9% of these students were attending a course leading to a Second Degree or Postgraduate Certificate, while 5.6 per cent were undertaking a course at doctorate level. Nearly two-thirds of the attendees were males.

A rise in outbound tourists aged 65 and over was recorded over the past four years, increasing from 19,598 in 2010 to 33,016 in 2013. At 88.9 per cent, most of these outbound tourists travelled to EU countries, while 63.1% opted for non-package travel. The most two popular destinations were Italy and the United Kingdom, with shares of 29.4 and 28.8% of the total respectively.