The population of Malta has increased by nearly 27,000 in 10 years and by 290,000 since 1842, the 2005 Census figures released yesterday revealed.

Between the first census carried out in 1842 and the 2005 Census, the population of Malta has grown 3.5 times, from 114,499 in 1842 to 404,962 in 2005.

While the population increased by over 60 per cent between 1842 and 1901, it has more than doubled since the beginning of the 20th century. In fact, since the 1901 census, the population grew by 2.2 times.

In 1995, the population stood at 378,132. It has since increased by 26,830 people – 13,983 males and 12,847 females. The number of males increased by 7.5 per cent, from 186,836 to 200,819 in 2005.

At the same time, the number of females increased by 6.7 per cent, from 191,296 to 204,143 in 2005. In 2005, the number of males for every 1,000 females stood at 984, up from 977 in 1995.

In 2005, the population consisted of 200,819 males, or 49.6 per cent of the population, and 204,143 females. In 1995, the proportion of males stood at 49.4 per cent with the resultant share of females at 50.6 per cent.

Emigration was the main factor contributing to a slowdown in the growth rate between 1948 and 1957, with the population only growing by an average of 0.5 per cent during this period.

In 1985, the population was comprised of 345,418 people – an increase of 31,202 people. Post-1985, the Census was carried out twice – in 1995 and 2005. During this period, a steady increase was experienced, with the population rising to 378,132 in 1995 and exceeding the 400,000 mark in 2005.

On a district basis, the Northern Harbour District is the most heavily inhabited. In fact, 119,332 people, or 29.5 per cent of the population, live in this district. In terms of population size, the lowest number of people live in Gozo and Comino with 31,007 inhabitants, or 7.7 per cent of the population.

In the Southern Harbour District, the population declined by 2,187, or 2.6 per cent, from 83,234 in 1995 to 81,047 in 2005. In the 1995 Census, Southern Harbour residents accounted for 20 per cent of the population. On the other hand, the population in the South Eastern District increased by 8,721, or 17.2 per cent. In 2005, people living in this district numbered 59,371, or 14.7 per cent of the population.

The Western District garners a 14.1 per cent share of the total population. This district has seen an increase of 5,077 inhabitants, to a total of 57,038.

The largest increase in population, both in terms of number and proportion, occurred in the Northern District. Whereas the population measured 44,852 in 1995, it reached 57,167 in 2005, an increase of 27.5 per cent. In 2005, residents living in this district accounted for 14.1 per cent of the population.

The largest town in Malta remains Birkirkara, with 21,858 residents. This is followed by Mosta, with 18,735 residents and Qormi with 16,559 residents. The smallest locality remains Mdina, with 278 residents. Ghasri and San Lawrenz are the second and third smallest, with 418 and 598 residents respectively.

With regard to growth by locality, Marsascala experienced the largest growth rate, followed by St Paul’s Bay. In fact, since 1995, the population of Marsascala has grown by 4,576, or 95.9 per cent, while the St Paul’s Bay population ha increased by 6,020, or 81.4 per cent.

The largest proportion in terms of outflow is Mdina’s with 26.3 per cent fewer inhabitants than in the 1995 Census. Hamrun experienced the greatest fall, with its population going down to 9,541 in 2005, a decline of 1,654 since 1995.

In November 2005, the average age of the population stood at 38.5 years, compared to 35.7 years in 1995 and 33.8 in 1985.

There was a marked decline in the number of people who are younger than 15, resulting from a declining birth rate. In fact, the number of people aged 14 or under amounted to 69,486, or 16.1 per cent fewer than in 1995.

The number of people aged 15 to 24 amounted to 58,099, or 2,334 more than in 1995. The 25 to 49 age bracket was comprised of 140,095 people, which is a small increase of 0.8 per cent over 1995.

There were significant increases in the older age groups. The 50 to 64 age group has grown by 42.5 per cent in the 10 years since 1995, while the 65 and over age group has grown by 28.6 per cent, to stand at 55,671.

The labour force, comprising people aged between 15 and 64, has continued to increase. The number of people in this age group totalled 279,805, compared to 252,079 in 1995 – an increase of 11 per cent.