How demographics are reshaping Malta’s districts | Part 5: District 13

GOZO: THE REAL BELLWETHER DISTRICT

Gozo has an average age of 44.2 compared to Malta’s 42.5, making it older than the mainland. Around 22.9% of Gozitan residents are aged 65 or over, compared to 18.1% in Malta.

The oldest localities are PN-leaning San Lawrenz (48.5), followed by Rabat (47.2) and Nadur (45.4). The Labour-leaning Sannat (41.7) is among the youngest.

Gozo also has fewer foreign workers, who generally have a rejuvenating effect on the population structure. In 2024, Malta had 159,446 foreign residents (30.5% of its population), while Gozo hosted 9,492, making up 23% of its population.

Beyond migration, Gozo has also experienced internal migration, with a growing number of Maltese buying second homes on the island. This has contributed to overdevelopment, with 7,688 new dwellings approved in Gozo between 2018 and 2023.

This process reflects both increased economic activity and planning policies facilitating the approval of large five-storey apartment blocks. Coastal localities such as Marsalforn and Xlendi have also seen even taller developments of up to 12 storeys on sloping sites.

While many Gozitans benefit from the property boom, resistance to the “uglification” of sensitive Gozitan landscapes has grown over the years.

The number of new dwellings rose from 227 in 2013 to 712 in 2017, then to a record 1,885 in 2022, before dropping to 1,241 in 2023. A KPMG study in 2022 showed that properties in Gozo are around 20% cheaper than in southern Malta, which itself is about 30% cheaper than the Northern Harbour region.

The large number of mainland Maltese buying property in Gozo is also reflected in the number of voters who live in Malta but retain their registered address in Gozo, and therefore vote there.

Official statistics also show that Gozitans are generally wealthier in assets and less vulnerable to poverty than residents on the main island, despite historically lower or comparable cash incomes. Over recent years, however, Gozo has closed the income gap, with regional statistics showing that Gozo’s average salary (€21,283) surpassed Malta’s (€20,969) for the first time.

Data also shows that while 81.6% of Maltese residents work in the private sector, only 66% of Gozitan workers are employed in the private sector. This gives the incumbent government greater political leverage in terms of patronage.

Connectivity remains a major issue. With both parties abandoning plans for a permanent link between the islands, focus has shifted to maritime connections, including a new fast ferry link between Sliema and Gozo introduced a few weeks ago.

Gozo also tends to be more culturally conservative, with 67% of Gozitans rejecting the introduction of divorce in the 2011 referendum. Moreover, 62% voted in favour of spring hunting in the 2015 referendum, overturning a narrow anti-hunting majority on the mainland.

While mainland Maltese districts are frequently altered to balance population changes, Gozo is explicitly protected by the Constitution of Malta to ensure it remains a single, undivided electoral district.

This makes longitudinal comparisons easier. Statistics show a decline in the PN vote from 58.8% in 2003 to 43.9% in 2022, while the PL increased from 40.8% to 53.5% over the same period.

Turnout has also declined, from 95% in 2003 to 88% in 2022.

Compared to 2017, the PN lost 1,051 votes in 2022, while the PL lost only 266. This suggests that any PN recovery in Gozo depends on regaining abstention votes lost in 2022.

One major factor shaping the next election in Gozo is the candidacy of PN leader Alex Borg, who is Gozitan. Borg will be flanked by four other candidates, none of whom currently serve in parliament. The PN candidates are: International secretary Beppe Galea; Luke Said, an environmental activist who was one of three PN candidates to officially endorse the environmental and planning manifestos launched by Malta’s main green NGOs; former MEP candidate Norma Camilleri; and Frank Anthony Tabone.

The PL, meanwhile, is fielding five candidates: Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela, Planning and Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo, MP Abigail Camilleri and George Camilleri.

Momentum is fielding Carmel Asciak and ADPD is fielding Luke Caruana, while Aħwa Maltin will field its leader, Paul Salomone.