The number of households with dependent children increased by a staggering 12 per cent between 2013 and 2017, official figures issued on Tuesday show. No reason was given. 

There were 55,501 households with children in 2013 and 61,255 in 2017.

The total number of households was 156,999 in 2013 and 180,054 in 2017. 66 per cent did not have dependent children. 

The figures were published by the National Statistics Office as part of data to mark the International Day of Families. 

Of the 61,255 households with dependent children, 20,412 (33 per cent) had two adults and one child.

26 per cent were households of two adults and two dependent children.

The share of single-parent households with one or more dependent children was of 12 per cent amounting to 7,307. 

65 per cent of mothers with children aged up to 17 years were in employment, 33 per cent were inactive and the rest were unemployed.  

The average gross annual salary of working parents rose by 5% since 2013. The increase was steeper for working mothers, but the average salary for mothers - at €17,597 in 2017, was still far lower than that of working fathers at €24,155.  

During 2017 there were 4,319 live births in Malta, of whom 82 per cent were Maltese citizens. Just over half the babies were boys. The average age of the mothers was 30.2, at par with the previous year. It was 29.3 in 2012.

Marriages in 2017 decreased slightly from the previous year to reach 2,934. Among those who got married in 2017 were 46 who were aged over 65 and 47 aged between 60 and 64.