The number of people aged over 75 who are still working in Malta has risen by nearly 58% over the past five years, according to figures tabled in Parliament.

In reply to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Jerome Caruana Cilia, Minsiter for Infrastructure, Planning and Employment Jonathan Attard said that the number of workers aged over 75 increased from 2,772 in  December 2021 to 4,377 in January 2026.

The figures show a steady year-on-year rise between 2021 and 2025. There were 3,143 workers over the age of 75 in December 2022, 3,537 in December 2023, 3,973 in December 2024, and 4,443 in December 2025.

The latest published figure, for January 2026, stood at 4,377, slightly lower than December 2025 total but still substantially higher than the figure recorded five years earlier.

Caruana Cilia also asked the minister for figures on people over the age of 80 who remain in employment. In a separate reply, Attard said that the number of workers aged over 80 rose from 941 in 2021 to 1,694 in 2026.

This represents an increase of around 80% in the number of people over 80 still active in the labour market over the five-year period.

The minister said the information was compiled from employment engagement and termination forms.

The parliamentary questions were submitted on 25 June and answered during Parliament's sitting on 6 July 2026.

The figures point to a growing number of elderly people remaining in employment well beyond traditional retirement age, with the over-75 category alone increasing by more than 1,600 workers since 2021.