Rural population in Malta
Malta: Rural population was 25,040 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Malta, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
In 2025, rural population in Malta stood at 25,040.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Malta peaked at 34,602 in 1986 and was at its lowest, 23,241, in 2021.
That places Malta 190th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Malta, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 32,245 | — |
| 1961 | 32,503 | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 32,803 | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 33,115 | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 33,408 | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 33,519 | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 33,411 | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 33,162 | -0.7% |
| 1968 | 32,790 | -1.1% |
| 1969 | 32,396 | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 32,202 | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 32,179 | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 32,115 | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 32,043 | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 31,966 | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 32,138 | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 32,228 | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 32,271 | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 32,515 | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 32,743 | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 32,974 | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 33,094 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 33,675 | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 34,005 | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 33,855 | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 34,294 | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 34,602 | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 34,229 | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 33,588 | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 32,757 | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 31,762 | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 31,210 | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 30,117 | -3.5% |
| 1993 | 29,092 | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 28,218 | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 27,562 | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 27,151 | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 26,876 | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 26,624 | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 26,400 | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 26,220 | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 26,088 | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 25,963 | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 25,812 | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 25,648 | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 25,448 | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 25,134 | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 24,762 | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 24,442 | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 24,161 | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 23,871 | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 23,662 | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 23,679 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 23,829 | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 24,221 | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 24,704 | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 25,089 | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 25,368 | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 25,530 | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 25,532 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 24,825 | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 23,241 | -6.4% |
| 2022 | 23,367 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 24,170 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 24,719 | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 25,040 | +1.3% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 25,040 is below the median for high income countries, which is 456,529, 5% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Malta's 25,040 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.62 million, 2% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 32,935 | 32,245 | 33,519 | 10 |
| 1970s | 32,240 | 31,966 | 32,743 | 10 |
| 1980s | 33,707 | 32,757 | 34,602 | 10 |
| 1990s | 28,501 | 26,400 | 31,762 | 10 |
| 2000s | 25,368 | 24,161 | 26,220 | 10 |
| 2010s | 24,548 | 23,662 | 25,532 | 10 |
| 2020s | 24,227 | 23,241 | 25,040 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malta
- 187 Liechtenstein 35,022 compare
- 188 Faroe Islands 33,136 compare
- 189 Saint Kitts and Nevis 31,954 compare
- 191 Iceland 22,689 compare
- 192 Qatar 19,042 compare
- 193 Dominica 17,136 compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malta
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0047 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 224.75 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0432 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.2% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Malta?
- Rural population in Malta was 25,040 in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 34,602 in 1986.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 23,241 in 2021.
- How does Malta rank for rural population?
- Malta ranks 190th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malta data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.