The European classification used for the compilation of regional statistics is called Nomenclature des Unités Territoriales et Statistiques, (NUTS). At NUTS III level, Malta is divided into two statistical regions – mainland Malta, and Gozo and Comino.

In terms of the employment rate, throughout 2008 Malta fared better than Gozo, with 339 employees per 1,000 population compared to 291 in the sister island. The share of employment in Gozo is concentrated in the public sector, with almost half the total employed therein. By contrast, in Malta, the public-sector share of total employees accounts for nearly one-third. With regard to unemployment, last year Gozo’s rate was higher than Malta’s (30.7 and 24.6 respectively) per 1,000 population. The ratio of self-employed persons is higher in Gozo, with 56.9 per 1,000 population compared to Malta’s 51.5.

In analysing the number of nights spent, non-resident tourists account for 96.5 per cent in mainland Malta. In Gozo, resident tourists account for over a quarter of total nights spent. When comparing 2008 to 2005, the share of domestic tourism in terms of the percentage of nights spent increased by 0.8 percentage points in Malta and by 2.4 percentage points in Gozo.

The lesser extent of industrialisation in Gozo is borne out by energy consumption statistics. Gozitan industry uses 6 per cent of electricity consumption in the island, against a larger share of 31 per cent in Malta. Consequently, the patterns of electricity consumption also differ for households: these account for 34 per cent of total consumption in Malta and 55 per cent in Gozo. In 2008, per capita, Gozitans consumed 89.7 cubic metres of water, 16 cubic metres more than their counterparts on mainland Malta, at 73.3 cubic metres. Land under cultivation in both regions in 2007 was almost identical, with one-third of available land space earmarked for agricultural use. The cattle population is larger in Gozo, while in mainland Malta in 2007, there were 292 pigs per 1,000 population compared to Gozo’s 73.

On education, figures show that in 2007 Gozitan children attained higher success rates in the Junior Lyceum exams, and the number of Gozitan university graduates per 1,000 population was rising during the 2005-2007 period too.

Statistics show that, as far as road safety is concerned, there is room for improvement in Malta. In fact, Gozo registered the least number of recorded car accidents, and it has the lowest rate of traffic casualties and fatalities. With regard to reported crime, household burglaries and car theft statistics in the 2005-2007 period showed a declining trend on the mainland and relatively low figures in Gozo

Permalink: EU regional statistics for Malta and Gozo and Comino in 2008