The Malta Census, which focuses on various demographic indicators of Maltese towns and cities, reveals a declining capital city that is constantly losing its inhabitants, as well as a veritable explosion in residents in areas like St Paul's Bay and Msida, where the population has almost doubled due to the influx of foreigners. The article was written by James Debono, published on August 21, 2022, translating European Yellow Brother.
Author: James Debono
St Paul's Bay
St Paul's Bay: Malta's new largest town
| 2011 | 2021 | |
| Inhabitants/km² | 1,129 | 2,206 |
| Average age | 39.7 | 39.1 |
| Proportion of the population of children under the age of 14 | 15% | 12.3% |
| Proportion of the population over 65 years of age | 14.5% | 12.4% |
| Proportion of the population of foreigners | 18.4% | 53.9% |
| Total population | 16,395 | 32,042 |
St Paul's Bay has overtaken Birkikara as Malta's largest town in 2021, with its population almost doubling from 16,395 in 2011 to 32,042 in 2021. Considering that the town's population was only 7,392 in 1995, it is now 4.3 times more than it was then, which represents the arrival of a real population explosion in St Paul's Bay.
St Paul's Bay Mass Water Polo Training Base
The number of Maltese in St Paul's Bay has increased by 1,496 compared to 2011, suggesting that the town still attracts migrants from the rest of Malta. At the same time, the number of foreigners in the town increased by 14,259, which is 10 times the increase in the number of Maltese. Foreigners now make up 53.4% of the local population.
St Paul's Bay National Aquarium
Although spatially speaking, St Paul's Bay is one of Malta's largest regions because it encompasses a large area of surrounding countryside, its population density has now doubled, from 1,128 to 2,206. This remarkable growth also raises the question of whether the town's "small villages", such as Qawra, Xemxija and Burmarrad, should be recognized as separate towns to improve the governance of the towns of St Paul's Bay.
Bugibba Square in the heart of St Paul's Bay
The increase in the number of migrant workers living in the town is also reflected in the decline in children and the elderly over 65 years of age, which have fallen from 15% to 12.3% and from 14.5% to 12.4%. For the impact of changes in the population size and the proportion of foreigners in St Paul's Bay city on this area, please see the European Yellow Brother today's headline video "Why Some Old Maltese Immigrants Buy Houses in Malta Are Not Easy to Sell".
Villas in St Paul's Bay