Malta: cities by population
Malta has a population of 549,011 (UN estimate, 2026), with Valletta as its capital. The 50 largest of its 69 recorded towns and cities, ranked.
+37%
since 2000 (399,895)
-2%
projected by 2050 (535,721)
1743
people per km²
Figures are the latest available in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), which draws on national censuses of varying dates — treat them as recent, not same-year. Country totals are UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant) where the UN lists the country separately; the handful it reports under a parent state keep a GeoNames figure and are marked as such. Sources & method.
Largest cities in Malta
| # | Place | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Pawl il-Baħar | Saint Paul’s Bay | 32,042 |
| 2 | Birkirkara | Birkirkara | 24,356 |
| 3 | Mosta | Il-Mosta | 23,482 |
| 4 | Sliema | Tas-Sliema | 22,591 |
| 5 | Qormi | Qormi | 16,801 |
| 6 | Żabbar | Ħaż-Żabbar | 15,648 |
| 7 | Naxxar | In-Naxxar | 14,890 |
| 8 | San Ġwann | Saint John | 14,720 |
| 9 | Swieqi | Is-Swieqi | 14,452 |
| 10 | San Ġiljan | Saint Julian | 13,792 |
| 11 | Imsida | L-Imsida | 13,713 |
| 12 | Birżebbuġa | Birżebbuġa | 12,915 |
| 13 | Fgura | Il-Fgura | 12,877 |
| 14 | Rabat | Ir-Rabat | 11,936 |
| 15 | Gżira | Il-Gżira | 11,669 |
| 16 | Żejtun | Iż-Żejtun | 11,549 |
| 17 | Mellieħa | Il-Mellieħa | 11,389 |
| 18 | Attard | Attard | 11,377 |
| 19 | Haz-Zebbug | Ħaż-Żebbuġ | 11,079 |
| 20 | Żurrieq | Iż-Żurrieq | 10,962 |
| 21 | Marsaskala | Marsaskala | 10,024 |
| 22 | Ħamrun | Il-Ħamrun | 9,743 |
| 23 | Siġġiewi | Is-Siġġiewi | 8,721 |
| 24 | Paola | Paola | 8,706 |
| 25 | Tarxien | Ta’ Xbiex | 8,627 |
| 26 | Santa Venera | Saint Venera | 7,590 |
| 27 | Valletta | Valletta | 6,794 |
| 28 | Victoria | Victoria | 6,596 |
| 29 | Luqa | Luqa | 6,162 |
| 30 | Cospicua | Bormla | 6,096 |
| 31 | Marsa | Il-Marsa | 5,454 |
| 32 | Pietà | Tal-Pietà | 4,892 |
| 33 | Għaxaq | Ħal Għaxaq | 4,860 |
| 34 | Balzan | Balzan | 4,689 |
| 35 | Nadur | In-Nadur | 3,933 |
| 36 | Pembroke | Pembroke | 3,842 |
| 37 | Imġarr | L-Imġarr | 3,802 |
| 38 | Dingli | Dingli | 3,711 |
| 39 | Xagħra | Ix-Xagħra | 3,680 |
| 40 | Marsaxlokk | Marsaxlokk | 3,660 |
| 41 | L-Iklin | L-Iklin | 3,422 |
| 42 | Mqabba | L-Imqabba | 3,339 |
| 43 | Xewkija | Ix-Xewkija | 3,303 |
| 44 | Lija | Lija | 3,202 |
| 45 | Gudja | Il-Gudja | 3,184 |
| 46 | Qrendi | Il-Qrendi | 3,148 |
| 47 | Kalkara | Il-Kalkara | 3,059 |
| 48 | Għajnsielem | Ghajnsielem | 2,931 |
| 49 | Mġarr | L-Imġarr | 2,868 |
| 50 | Hal Gharghur | Ħal Għargħur | 2,857 |
Twenty years earlier: Malta in the 2005 World Gazetteer — population then 384,594.
Common questions
What is the population of Malta?
Malta has a population of 549,011, the UN World Population Prospects estimate for 2026. The UN's medium-variant projection for 2050 is 535,721 — a forecast, not a measurement.
What is the capital of Malta?
Valletta. The largest place we record there is San Pawl il-Baħar, with 32,042 people.