Society of Malta

society

KEY FACTS 2015

Population per sq km: 1,350

Life expectancy: 82 years

Net primary enrolment: 97% (2014)


Population: 431,000 (2015); some 30,000 people on Gozo and Comino; with population density among the world’s highest; 95 per cent of people live in urban areas; growth 0.9 per cent p.a. 1990–2015; birth rate 10 per 1,000 people (17 in 1970); life expectancy 82 years (70 in 1970). There are no significant ethnic minorities.

Language: Official languages are Maltese and English. Italian is widely spoken.

Religion: Virtually all Christians (Roman Catholics).

Media: There are daily and weekly newspapers in English, including The Malta Independent, The Malta Independent on Sunday, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Malta Business Weekly and Malta Today, and daily and weekly papers in Maltese. The principal newspapers in Maltese have political affiliations, for example In-Nazzjon (daily) and Il-Mument (weekly) with the Nationalist Party, and L-Orizzont (daily) and It-Torca (weekly) with the General Workers’ Union.

Television Malta is a public channel, which began broadcasting in 1962, and Radio Malta has provided public radio since the mid-1930s. Other TV channels and radio stations are owned by the political parties, the Roman Catholic Church or commercial broadcasters. Net TV is owned by the Nationalist Party and Super One TV by the Malta Labour Party. Cable TV was introduced in 1992 and many households have satellite receivers. Virtually all households have at least one TV set. Digital radio broadcasting was launched in 2008. It is also possible to receive the broadcasts of Italian radio and TV in Malta.

Some 99 per cent of households have TV sets (2009).

Public holidays: New Year’s Day, St Paul’s Shipwreck (10 February), St Joseph’s Day (19 March), Freedom Day (31 March), Workers’ Day (1 May), Commemoration of 1919 Sette Guigno Riot (7 June), St Peter and St Paul (Harvest Festival, 29 June), Assumption (15 August), Our Lady of Victories (8 September), Independence Day (21 September), Immaculate Conception (8 December), Republic Day (13 December) and Christmas Day.

Religious and other festivals whose dates vary from year to year include Good Friday.

Carnival (not an official holiday) is held Saturday–Tuesday before Ash Wednesday