The towns where foreigners outnumber Maltese

Six localities had more foreign residents than Maltese by the end of last year, up from just three localities in 2021, recent official figures show.

Apart from St Paul’s Bay in the north, the other five localities are Pietà, Msida, Gżira, Sliema and St Julian’s.

In Msida, 64% of the 16,609 residents are foreign, while in St Paul’s Bay, which is the largest locality in Malta, 63% of the 40,204 residents are non-Maltese. Gżira has the third highest concentration with 60% of its 12,054 residents being foreigners.

St Julian’s comes in at fourth with 57% of the 15,208 residents being foreign, followed by Pietà and Sliema, each with a concentration of foreigners that amounts to 55% of residents. Pietà’s overall population stands at 7,087 and that of Sliema at 22,730.

In 2021, just three localities—Msida, St Paul’s Bay and Gżira—had an absolute majority of residents who were foreign nationals with St Julian’s, Sliema and Pietà coming close to the mark.

Significantly, Pietà registered a 10-point increase in the share of foreign residents since 2021, followed by Msida and St Paul’s Bay that each registered a nine-point increase. Gżira and St Julian’s each recorded an eight-point increase in foreign nationals over the three-year period, while Sliema registered a six-point increase.

The statistics come from the latest population figures released by the National Statistics Office to mark World Population Day. The figures show that Malta’s population grew to 574,250 by the end of 2024, on the back of higher immigration. Almost 30% of the population—168,938—was made up of foreigners who live and work here.

Significantly, the increase in population is also reflected in the number of residential permits issued by the Planning Authority over recent years. Separate statistics show that since 2021, the PA approved 6,596 permits that equated to 36,148 new dwellings, the vast majority apartments.

Language, culture and integration

Msida where 64% of residents are foreigners

The rapid increase in population over the past decade as a result of foreign workers has created pressure on public infrastructure from roads to sewage, to electricity and healthcare. But the six localities where foreigners now number more than Maltese, the challenges tend to be more pronounced.

Msida Mayor Charles Selvaggi says language could be a barrier for effective communication, given the diversity of the people who now live in his community. It can impact even basic communication such as which waste should be put out on what day.

“Waste is one of the biggest challenges we face, especially with households putting out their garbage at the wrong time or on the wrong day and this in turn creates a sense of neglect,” Selvaggi says.

But there is also a question of culture, he adds. “Some foreigners adopt a nonchalant attitude towards a differentiated waste system and other social norms, possibly because it is not something they normally do but this in turn becomes an inconvenience,” the mayor says.

Selvaggi acknowledges that there are foreign communities that help the council reach out to their members, such as the Indian community.

“I have no problem in welcoming foreigners but I want the respect to be mutual and this is why we need to work more on integration,” Selvaggi says.

To do this, he emphasises, requires a holistic approach that involves the council, the central government and experts in the field to find solutions that foster integration and respect. “Such a strategy requires having people on the ground, reaching out to residents, communicating with them and pointing out what the expected behaviour is,” he says. But this is not something the council has the resources for, he adds.

A more worrying issue is the pressure the population growth has put on the locality’s infrastructure. From parking problems to sewage leaks, the infrastructure is feeling the strain, Selvaggi says.

“This is why as a council we voted for a carrying capacity study to be undertaken to know what volume of people the locality can handle and where the infrastructure needs to improve,” he says.

Msida’s woes are similar to those in many localities where large cohorts of foreigners live. The challenges are just more pronounced in towns where the majority of residents are non-Maltese.

And one issue that was identified as a problem in the Integration Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2030, produced by the Human Rights Directorate, was the lack of permanency among foreign communities. Research shows that many foreign employees tend to leave Malta within two to three years of migrating here and this creates social challenges apart from economic risks.

Short-term stays mean foreign workers have fewer opportunities to integrate and place them at greater risk of exploitation and poor working conditions. This in turn has an impact on the communities where they live but have little attachment to.

The Labour Migration Policy unveiled late last year has sought to address the issue of high turnover of foreign workers by making it more attractive for employers to hold on to existing workers rather than source new ones from abroad.

To encourage retainment, the labour policy is upping the renewal period following the completion of one year of engagement from one to two years, provided that third country nationals have been offered a contract with a validity period that is not less than two years. The new policy will also grant foreign workers already in Malta a 30-day period, with a possible 30-day extension, following employment termination during which they will be able to legally remain in Malta to seek new employment.

The underlying rationale for the proposed change is to prioritise the retention of existing skilled individuals already in Malta thus reducing the turnover.

Other measures include obligatory pre-departure programmes that enable potential immigrant workers to acculture themselves with the norms, legislation and behavioural expectations once in Malta.

It will take time for such policies to have an impact at community level, especially given the continued increase in foreign workers to meet the economy’s demands. But for a locality like Msida, these policies cannot come too soon, even though the mayor calls for a more hands-on approach that also deals with the immediate concerns.

1. Msida

• Population: 16,609
• Maltese: 5,954
• Foreign: 10,655
• Foreign (%): 64%

Since 2021, the number of foreign residents increased by 3,162, while Maltese residents declined by 140. Foreigners made up 55% of the locality’s residents in 2021. Msida is run by a PN-led council after the locality shifted away from Labour in the 2024 local elections. The PN has 5 councillors and the PL has 4.

2. St Paul’s Bay

• Population: 40,204
• Maltese: 14,960
• Foreign: 25,244
• Foreign (%): 63%

Since 2021, the number of foreigners increased by 7,962, outpacing Maltese residents that increased by a mere 200. In 2021, foreign residents made up 54% of the locality’s population. St Paul’s Bay is run by a PN-led council after the PL lost its majority in 2024. The PN has 7 councillors, the PL has 5 and ADPD has 1.

3. Gżira

• Population: 12,054
• Maltese: 4,848
• Foreign: 7,206
• Foreign (%): 60%

Since 2021, the number of foreigners increased by 1,805, while Maltese residents decreased by 82. In 2021, Gżira’s foreign residents made up 52% of the locality’s population. Gzira is run by a PL-led council. In the 2024 local elections, the PL elected 5 councillors, the PN elected 3 and the locality’s former Labour mayor was elected as an independent.

4. St Julian’s

• Population: 15,208
• Maltese: 6,510
• Foreign: 8,698
• Foreign (%): 57%

Since 2021, the number of foreigners living in St Julian’s increased by 2,944, while the Maltese population increased by 611. In 2021, foreign residents made up 49% of the population. St Julian’s is run by a PN-led council. The PN has 6 councillors and the PL has 3.

5. Pietà

• Population: 7,087
• Maltese: 3,195
• Foreign: 3,892
• Foreign (%): 55%

Since 2021, the number of foreign residents increased by 1,240, while the Maltese population decreased by 45. In 2021, Pietà’s share of foreigners was 45%. Pietà is run by a PL-led council. In the 2024 local elections, the PL elected 4 councillors and the PN elected 3.

6. Sliema

• Population: 22,730
• Maltese: 10,284
• Foreign: 12,446
• Foreign (%): 55%

Since 2021, the number of foreign residents increased by 2,841, outpacing an increase of 234 Maltese residents. In 2021, foreign residents made up 49% of the population. Sliema is run by a PN-led council. In the 2024 local elections, the PN elected 10 councillors and the PL elected 3.