Income data reveals sharp disparities by citizenship

Annual income data for 301,332 registered employees in 2024 shows a pronounced divide in earnings based on citizenship.

Non-EU foreign workers, or Third Country Nationals (TCNs), are heavily concentrated in the lowest income brackets. EU citizens, on the other hand, are more likely to reach the top tiers of income.

The information is derived from a statistical analysis of data provided by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana in a reply to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Ivan Castillo.

TCNs overwhelmingly dominate lower-income segments. In the €12,000 and under annual income category, 27,874 TCNs, representing 34.4% of all non-EU citizens, fall into this bracket. Comparatively, 29.5% of EU workers (13,138 of 44,498) and just 17.2% of Maltese workers (30,242 of 175,859) fall within the lowest brackets.

When examining those earning €20,000 or less, three out of every four TCN employees (75.7%, or 61,309 individuals) are positioned in the bottom tiers. By contrast, roughly 47.6% of EU workers and 34.4% of Maltese workers earn below this threshold.

While Maltese workers make up the largest numerical group in low-to-mid income brackets due to their overall population size, they are far less likely than TCNs to be confined to these lower annual earnings.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, TCN representation falls sharply. Only 1,268 TCNs, or around 1.6% of their workforce, earn more than €60,000 annually. EU citizens are more likely to occupy high-income roles, with 9.6% (4,252 individuals) earning over €60,000 annually, slightly outpacing the 9.1% of Maltese workers (16,071 individuals) in the same bracket.

This pattern is even more marked in the €100,001 and over “ultra-high” annual income category, where 3.3% of EU employees (1,459 individuals) earn above €100,000 annually, compared with 2% of Maltese workers (3,592 individuals) and just 0.5% of TCNs (406 individuals).

Workers from other EU countries exhibit a polarised income distribution, with a significant presence in both the lowest and highest earning tiers. This reflects the high portion of EU workers in both highly paid jobs in gaming and financial sector and also in more elementary jobs.

Median bracket for each category

While an exact average salary cannot be calculated from the parliamentary data, the median income bracket and top 10% income threshold provide a clearer picture of typical financial standing. The median Maltese employee earns between €27,001 and €28,000 annually, the median EU employee earns between €21,001 and €22,000 annually, and the median TCN employee earns between €14,001 and €15,000 annually, confirming that the typical experience for a Third Country National is to be in the lower income tiers.

To be among the top 10% of earners within their respective categories, EU workers must earn approximately €60,001 or more, Maltese workers approximately €58,001 or more, while TCN workers need only approximately €30,001 or more, illustrating the stark income gap.

These figures highlight a dramatic disparity. The top 10% of TCN workers earn roughly the same as the median Maltese worker, while EU citizens, despite a lower median income than Maltese workers, have a higher entry point for their top 10%, confirming their polarisation with large clusters at both the bottom and the top of the scale.

One notable variation appears in the €20,001–€40,000 annual income range, which serves as a stronghold for Maltese workers. While TCN participation drops sharply after €20,000, from 33,435 in the €12,001–€20,000 bracket to just 11,227 in the €20,001–€30,000 range, the Maltese population remains steady, with over 67,000 earning between €20,001 and €40,000 annually.

The 301,332-strong workforce is composed of 58.4% Maltese, 26.9% TCNs, and 14.8% EU citizens.

The 2024 annual income data indicates a highly stratified labour market. TCNs provide the bulk of labour in the lowest-paid sectors, while EU citizens are proportionally most likely to occupy executive or high-specialisation roles, surpassing even Maltese nationals in the top income brackets.