Rural population growth in Malta

Malta: Rural population growth was 1.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
1.3%
Change on year
down 42.6%
World rank
43rd
of 207 countries
All-time high
3.4%
in 2023
All-time low
-6.6%
in 2021
Years of data
65
1961–2025

Rural population growth in Malta, 1961–2025

-6-4-2024196119932025

Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.

Analysis

Malta recorded 1.3% for rural population growth in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 42.6% on the previous year and down 34.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, rural population growth in Malta peaked at 3.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, -6.6%, in 2021.

That places Malta 43rd out of 207 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 0.1% -1.2% 0.9% 9
1970s 0.1% -0.6% 0.8% 10
1980s 0.0% -2.5% 1.7% 10
1990s -2.2% -3.6% -0.8% 10
2000s -0.9% -1.5% -0.5% 10
2010s 0.6% -1.2% 2.0% 10
2020s -0.3% -6.6% 3.4% 6

Countries ranked near Malta

  1. 40 Burkina Faso 1.4% compare
  2. 41 Egypt 1.4% compare
  3. 42 Papua New Guinea 1.3% compare
  4. 44 Burundi 1.3% compare
  5. 45 Comoros 1.2% compare
  6. 46 Guinea-Bissau 1.2% compare

See the full ranking of 256 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Malta

All data for Malta →

Frequently asked questions

What is rural population growth in Malta?
Rural population growth in Malta was 1.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Malta?
The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 2023.
What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Malta?
The lowest recorded value was -6.6% in 2021.
How does Malta rank for rural population growth?
Malta ranks 43rd out of 207 countries with data for 2025.
Is rural population growth rising or falling in Malta?
Over the last ten years it is down 34.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malta data come from?
The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Rural population growth (annual %)
Unit
annual %
Source
World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
256 places, 16,517 data points, 1961–2025
Last refreshed

Annual rural population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear rural population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.