Election History Bites | Seats and districts

The 1971 election was particular because of the uneven distribution of seats across the districts. Parliament was expanded to 55 seats from 50 and the extra five seats were distributed on the 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9 districts.

This meant that while the overall number of districts remained 10, five districts elected five MPs each and five others elected six MPs each. This was the only election since 1921 to date where the number of seats to be elected from each district was not equal.

Between 1921 and 1932, each of the eight districts elected four MPs. In the war interlude between 1939 and 1945, when voters elected a 10-member Council of Government, Malta was divided into two districts, each electing five members.

Between 1947 and 1955, Malta was divided into eight districts, each electing five members to the Legislative Assembly. In the 1962 and 1966 elections, the number of districts increased to 10, each electing five MPs.

The 1971 election stood out with its uneven distribution of seats, a situation that changed in the 1976 election when the number of districts increased to 13 and parity was restored with each electing five MPs for a total of 65 seats. Both the number of districts and the number of MPs elected in each district has remained unchanged since 1976.

However, the composition of the individual districts has often changed to ensure each has roughly the same voting population. Gozo enjoys special status as a distinct district irrespective of its voting population to preserve its regionality.

The latest change in the district boundaries took place in July 2025.

Election History Bites powered by Agenda Bookshop is a series of election-inspired stories that will be published from Monday to Friday every morning throughout the election campaign