One in five Maltese is pension age, according to national statistics, which show a dramatic increase in the proportion of elderly over the past decade.

The National Statistics Office said on Friday that 18.8 per cent of the total population residing in Malta was at least 65 years old.

This, the NSO said, had been increasing steadily between 2007 and last year, reaching a total of 89,517 – a 57.8 per cent rise over 2007.

The Southern Harbour district had the highest concentration of older persons (22.5 per cent), followed by Gozo (21.9 per cent).

In 2017, life expectancy for the average 65-year-old was 20.7 years, an increase of almost two years over 2007.

The figures were released ahead of International Day of Older Persons, which is commemorated every year on October 1.

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The 2017 Statistics on Income and Living Conditions Survey results show that a quarter of Maltese elderly are at-risk-poverty.

A third of the elderly could not afford to pay for a one-week annual holiday away from home and 16.2 per cent could not afford to face unexpected expenses of €650 and over.

Of the respondents, one in 10 said they could not keep their home adequately warm in winter.

Around the same number said they had problems with either a leaking roof, or damp walls or rot in window frames or floors.

An additional eight per cent said their home was just too dark.