Just over 12,100 people in Malta, or three per cent of the total population, are foreign, according to figures of the 2005 census.

When compared to the census carried out in 1995, the slice of the population of Maltese nationals has decreased from 98.1 per cent that year to 97 per cent in 2005 – 392,850 residents. Maltese with dual citizenship have been included in the number of Maltese nationals.

Maltese nationals comprised 194,907 males, or 49.6 per cent, and 197,943 females, or 50.4 per cent. At 6,200, or 51.2 per cent of all foreign nationals, the female element was more pronounced in the foreign-national segment of the population.

The census also revealed that the majority of foreign nationals resided in the Northern Harbour District, translating into 41.2 per cent of all foreign nationals.

On a country-by-country basis, 38.9 per cent of these foreigners are British. Other nationalities include Italian, French, German, American, Canadian, Australian, Libyan and people from other European Union member states.

Figures have confirmed that Malta remains the most densely populated European Union member state, with an average of 1,285 people per square kilometre. The Netherlands ranks a far second, with 480 residents per square kilometre.

On a regional basis, Malta has 1,517 inhabitants per square kilometre, which is more than three times as much as the Gozitan population density: 452 people per square kilometre.

On a national level, population density in Malta increased by 7.1 per cent in 2005 when compared to 1995. All districts, except Southern Harbour, have experienced increases in their population density.

In 2005, the dependency ratio (expressed as the sum of people less than 15 years old and people aged 65 years and over, as a percentage of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 years) stood at 44.7 per cent, considerably lower than the 50.4 per cent calculated for Malta in 1995 and a projected world average of 55.1 per cent. This fall in the ratio is attributable to the marked decline in the proportion of people less than 15 years old.

In comparison to other member states of the European Union, Malta has a significantly lower old-age dependency ratio, defined as the ratio of people aged 65 years and over to the working-age population. In Malta, this stood at 19.9 per cent, compared to 24.9 per cent across the European Union.

In the 10 years between 1995 and 2005, the fertility rate continued to decline, decreasing by 0.4 children per mother. In 2005, the average number of children born per mother stood at 2.6, compared to 3 in 1995. The largest proportion of mothers in Malta – nearly 41 per cent – bore two children.

On the other hand, the number of mothers continued to increase. In the 2005 census, there were 111,334 mothers, implying a 14.5 per cent increase over 1995.

According to the 2005 census, 59.2 per cent of people aged 16 years and over were married, translating into 97,337 males and 98,186 females. Compared to the 1995 census, the married component of the population decreased: in 1995, 62.8 per cent of the 16+ population segment were married.