Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malta
Malta: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 95.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
95.7%
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
22nd
of 238 countries
All-time high
95.7%
in 2025
All-time low
0.6%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malta, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malta stood at 95.7%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malta peaked at 95.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1000.
That places Malta 22nd out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 108 years of available data.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malta, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.6% | — |
| 1100 | 0.8% | +33.3% |
| 1200 | 1.1% | +33.3% |
| 1300 | 1.5% | +33.3% |
| 1400 | 1.9% | +33.3% |
| 1500 | 2.6% | +33.3% |
| 1600 | 3.4% | +33.3% |
| 1700 | 4.6% | +33.3% |
| 1710 | 7.7% | +67.1% |
| 1720 | 10.8% | +40.2% |
| 1730 | 13.8% | +28.6% |
| 1740 | 16.9% | +22.3% |
| 1750 | 20.0% | +18.2% |
| 1760 | 23.1% | +15.4% |
| 1770 | 26.2% | +13.4% |
| 1780 | 29.3% | +11.8% |
| 1790 | 32.4% | +10.5% |
| 1800 | 35.4% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 38.5% | +8.7% |
| 1820 | 41.6% | +8.0% |
| 1830 | 44.7% | +7.4% |
| 1840 | 47.8% | +6.9% |
| 1850 | 50.9% | +6.5% |
| 1860 | 53.9% | +6.1% |
| 1870 | 57.0% | +5.7% |
| 1880 | 60.1% | +5.4% |
| 1890 | 63.2% | +5.1% |
| 1900 | 66.3% | +4.9% |
| 1910 | 69.4% | +4.7% |
| 1920 | 72.4% | +4.4% |
| 1930 | 75.5% | +4.3% |
| 1940 | 78.6% | +4.1% |
| 1950 | 88.9% | +13.1% |
| 1951 | 89.2% | +0.3% |
| 1952 | 89.4% | +0.3% |
| 1953 | 89.7% | +0.3% |
| 1954 | 89.9% | +0.2% |
| 1955 | 90.1% | +0.2% |
| 1956 | 90.2% | +0.1% |
| 1957 | 90.3% | +0.1% |
| 1958 | 90.3% | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 90.2% | -0.1% |
| 1960 | 90.1% | -0.1% |
| 1961 | 90.0% | -0.1% |
| 1962 | 89.9% | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 89.7% | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 89.6% | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 89.5% | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 89.4% | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 89.4% | -0.0% |
| 1968 | 89.4% | -0.0% |
| 1969 | 89.4% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 89.4% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 89.4% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 89.4% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 89.4% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 89.4% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 89.4% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 89.5% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 89.5% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 89.5% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 89.6% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 89.6% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 89.6% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 89.7% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 89.7% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 89.8% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 89.8% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 89.9% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 90.1% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 90.3% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 90.7% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 91.0% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 91.4% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 91.8% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 92.2% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 92.5% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 92.7% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 92.9% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 93.0% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 93.1% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 93.2% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 93.3% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 93.4% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 93.4% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 93.5% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 93.6% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 93.7% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 93.8% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 93.9% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 94.0% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 94.1% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 94.2% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 94.3% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 94.4% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 94.4% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 94.4% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 94.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 94.5% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 94.6% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 94.7% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 94.9% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 95.2% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 95.5% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 95.6% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 95.6% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 95.7% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 95.7% | +0.0% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 95.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 1.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Malta's 95.7% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 79.5%, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malta changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1710 | +67.1% | 4.6% | 7.7% |
| 1720 | +40.2% | 7.7% | 10.8% |
| 1100 | +33.3% | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| 1200 | +33.3% | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| 1300 | +33.3% | 1.1% | 1.5% |
| 1400 | +33.3% | 1.5% | 1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1200s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1300s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1400s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
| 1500s | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1 |
| 1600s | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1 |
| 1700s | 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 1 |
| 1710s | 7.7% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 1 |
| 1720s | 10.8% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 1 |
| 1730s | 13.8% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 1 |
| 1740s | 16.9% | 16.9% | 16.9% | 1 |
| 1750s | 20.0% | 20.0% | 20.0% | 1 |
| 1760s | 23.1% | 23.1% | 23.1% | 1 |
| 1770s | 26.2% | 26.2% | 26.2% | 1 |
| 1780s | 29.3% | 29.3% | 29.3% | 1 |
| 1790s | 32.4% | 32.4% | 32.4% | 1 |
| 1800s | 35.4% | 35.4% | 35.4% | 1 |
| 1810s | 38.5% | 38.5% | 38.5% | 1 |
| 1820s | 41.6% | 41.6% | 41.6% | 1 |
| 1830s | 44.7% | 44.7% | 44.7% | 1 |
| 1840s | 47.8% | 47.8% | 47.8% | 1 |
| 1850s | 50.9% | 50.9% | 50.9% | 1 |
| 1860s | 53.9% | 53.9% | 53.9% | 1 |
| 1870s | 57.0% | 57.0% | 57.0% | 1 |
| 1880s | 60.1% | 60.1% | 60.1% | 1 |
| 1890s | 63.2% | 63.2% | 63.2% | 1 |
| 1900s | 66.3% | 66.3% | 66.3% | 1 |
| 1910s | 69.4% | 69.4% | 69.4% | 1 |
| 1920s | 72.4% | 72.4% | 72.4% | 1 |
| 1930s | 75.5% | 75.5% | 75.5% | 1 |
| 1940s | 78.6% | 78.6% | 78.6% | 1 |
| 1950s | 89.8% | 88.9% | 90.3% | 10 |
| 1960s | 89.6% | 89.4% | 90.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 89.4% | 89.4% | 89.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 89.9% | 89.6% | 90.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 92.4% | 91.0% | 93.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 93.7% | 93.3% | 94.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 94.5% | 94.2% | 94.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 95.5% | 95.2% | 95.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malta
- 19 Martinique 96.8% compare
- 20 Guadeloupe 96.4% compare
- 21 Netherlands 95.9% compare
- 23 Uruguay 95.7% compare
- 24 United States Virgin Islands 95.4% compare
- 25 Luxembourg 94.9% compare
More reference data data for Malta
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0121 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0042 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0205 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0008 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0205 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0404 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0227 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0192 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.1009 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0043 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malta?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malta was 95.7% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 95.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1000.
- How does Malta rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Malta ranks 22nd out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malta data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.