2011 Census: 71,080 unoccupied households in Malta

Malta's population in 2011 stood at 417,432, confirming the country's status as the most densely populated country in the EU. In terms of dwellings, the census shows that in 2011 the country had 152,980 households, with 71,080 being vacant.

Out of these households, only 29,848 dwellings being occupied seasonly. The 2011 census shows that 41,232 households are completely vacant. More than 75% of all vacant dwellings were in a good state of repair, however almost 7,000 households are either dilapidated or in need of serious repairs.

The majority of vacant dwellings are found in St Paul's Bay, Sliema and Zebbug.

In total, 20,289 residents are foreigners, with almost 40% being EU citizens. The figures were published by the National Statistics Office during a press conference in Valletta.

Finance minister Edward Scicluna said that the data collected played an important role in shaping policy, apart from being a useful tool for academics and researchers.

The Census 2011 final report, which was published today, shows that the population grew by 12,470 since the previous census in 2005. While 95.1% of the population is Maltese, over 6,000 Brits reside in Malta. Somalis make up second biggest expat community, with 1,041 residents coming from the Eastern African nation.

The most densely populated area is the Northern Harbour district, which includes Malta's largest town, Birkirkara, and other large towns such as Sliema and Qormi.

In 2011, 16 localities had a population topping 10,000 residents with the population in the Southern Harbour district registering the largest decrease.