Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
Migration biggest factor in population growth
Malta registered the third biggest population growth in the EU last year but only thanks to migrants, as their influx far outstripped the increase resulting from births.
According to figures released in Brussels yesterday, Malta had the second largest crude migration increase in the EU in 2010, more than three times the bloc’s average.
The statistics do not detail the nationalities of the migrants concerned but the majority entering Malta are known to do so illegally and originate from sub-Saharan Africa.
While the number of migrants in the EU increased by an average of 1.7 per 1000 of the population, in Malta the figure was up by 5.4 per thousand, the second highest rise in the EU after Luxembourg, which is situated in the middle of the continent and receives many French and German workers.
The trend is mirrored in the EU as a whole, where 60 per cent of the increase in population came from migration, with the largest net inflows in Luxembourg (+15.1 per cent), Malta (+5.4 per cent), Sweden (+5.3 per cent), Italy (+5.2 per cent) and Belgium (+5.1 per cent).
The island’s population last year rose by 3,200 persons to a total of 417,600. Of those, however, only 1000 – the difference between 4000 newborns and 3000 deaths – were “new” Maltese. The rest, 2,200, were newly registered migrants.
And although 4,000 newborns may seem to represent a healthy increase, Malta had one of the lowest birth rates, with only 9.6 newborns per 1,000 population. Only five EU member states had a lower natural growth record: Germany (8.3); Latvia (8.6); Hungary (9); Austria (9.4) and Portugal (9.5).
Ireland, with all its economic problems, produced most babies in the EU with a crude birth rate of 16.5 per 1,000 population.
The population of the EU grew by 1.4 million people to reach 502.5 million, with a natural increase of half a million and a net migration of 900,000. In 2010, 5.4 million children were born while 4.8 million deaths were registered.
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Mr John Azzopoardi
Jul 29th 2011, 10:53
How Malta has changed from having one of the highest birthrates in Europe little bit over 50 years ago and today. Not much to say. Today's Malta is a me generation. Nothing wrong with that, but it seems like that is the way Maltese want to live., Having said that, Malta is still way too overcrowded and we still do not need any influx of legal or illegal migrants at the rates we have seen in the past 10 years. Once Malta is hit with huge unemployment numbers, it's the maltese who will have to pay the price by either have to emigrate or work abroad as commuterss.
guido cutajar
Jul 29th 2011, 09:19
Dejjem ghedt li daqs 20 - 25 sena ohra lil dawn l-emigranti ser ikollna bzonnhom. Il familja Maltija mhux qeghdha tipproduci tfal bizzejjed sabiex ikun ghawn min jahdem. Meta tikkunsidra li daqs 30 - 40 sena ilu il familja Maltija kien ikollha medja ta 4 - 6 itfal, illum hija medja ta 1 - 3. Jekk il gvernijiet li gejjin ikomplu bis sistema tal pensjonijiet kif inhi illum, bilfors irrid inhaddmu lil dawn l-emigranti fuq bazi regolari u mhux nisfruttawhom. Dawn ser jintegraw maghna, ser jithalltu maghna, u ser jghejxu maghna. Irridu u maridux.
M Sciberras
Jul 29th 2011, 08:59
the figures here leave me perplexed. The author of this article implies that there were some 2200 migrants of African origin- illegal immigrants- last year but unless I am mistaken in 2010 the italy Libya agreement was in full force and recorded landings were at their lowest. My impression is that it is the number of European residents that is constantly increasing in malta, as, incredible as it may seem to some, the island faces some skill or manpower shortages in certain areas. Surely these figures require a reinterpretation?
Ms Louise Vella
Jul 29th 2011, 08:47
At this rate it's only a matter of time before the illegal immigrants outnumber the Maltese population. The PN Gonzi government must put the national interest before all other interests and start repatriating the illegal immigrants to their native countries.