The National Statistics Office has announced the launch of the Regional Statistics Portal, which is now live. It has revealed that 41,253 persons resided in the Gozo and Comino region in 2024. This figure was made up of 31,761 Maltese and 9,492 foreign residents, according to data released in July.

Persons aged between 30 and 39 years in that region accounted for the highest share of the population.

It also noted that the Gozo and Comino region had a negative natural population growth rate for 2021, 2022 and 2024.

The NSO explained that this new online platform replaces the former Regional Statistics MALTA publication and offers full digital access to regional statistical information.

Further highlights for Gozo are shown below:

Change in population: 2019/2024

… the highest percentage increases were observed in the age cohorts of 30 to 39 and 40 to 49 years in both Malta region and Gozo and Comino region.

Households: 2023

… the most common household size for people living in both Malta and Gozo and Comino regions were the two-person.

… average household disposable income was lowest in the Gozo and Comino district, €30,989.

… persons at-risk-poverty rates for Gozo and Comino was 24.4%, while Malta was lower at 16.0%.

Selected Social Benefits 2023

In the region of Gozo and Comino, the expenditure per capita on the selected benefits was highest in San Lawrenz and Victoria with expenditure per capita exceeding €1,500. On the other hand, Zebbug and Munxar registered the least expenditure per capita of less than €1,000.

Employment by place of residence 2023

… 18,563 Gozo and Comino residents with a full-time job, an increase of 4.9% when compared to 2022.

… 67.3% of Gozo and Comino residents worked in the private sector.

Employment by place of work 2023

… full-time employment in Gozo and Comino region amounted to 14,279, an increase of 5.8% over 2022.

… full-time males in the Gozo and Comino region were predominantly employed in the wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; transportation and storage; accommodation and food service activities while the females were mainly employed in the public administration and defence; compulsory social security; education; human health and social work activities.

Commuter workers: 2023

… Gozo and Comino residents employed on a full-time basis in Malta region totalled 3,650, of which, 53.2% worked in the public sector and the remaining worked in the private sector.

Gross Value Added at basic price: 2023

… for the region of Gozo and Comino GVA increased by 11.8% respectively over 2022.

Transport Indicators: 2023

… as at end of 2023, Gozo and Comino district registered the highest ratio of vehicles, 1,126 per 1,000 total residents. The second highest average age of passenger cars was in the Gozo and Comino district, 17.05 years. Gozo and Comino had the lowest registered traffic accidents in 2024 at 1,005 cases.

Sea transport between Malta and Gozo: 2024

… passengers and vehicles travelling between Malta and Gozo increased by 15.0 and 5.2% respectively when compared to 2023.

… passenger traffic originating from Cirkewwa was busiest on Fridays and Saturdays, whereas highest numbers from Mgarr were recorded on Sundays and Saturdays.

… August registered the highest number of trips between Mgarr and Valletta – 977 or 10.6% of total trips between Mgarr and Valletta for 2024 – and the highest number of passengers between Mgarr and Valletta – 120,220 or 12.3% of total passengers between Mgarr and Valletta for 2024.

Self-Catering Establishments in Gozo and Comino region

As at end of 2024

… total registered self-catering accommodation accounted for 77.4% of total bed stock in Gozo and Comino region.

… other self-catering establishments, comprising of apartments and villas with pool, accounted for more than half of the total active holiday furnished premises.

Domestic Tourism

… in 2024, total domestic tourists to and from Malta, and Gozo and Comino regions amounted to 442,322, a decrease of 2.68% when compared to 2023.

Malta residents who visited the Gozo and Comino region for duration of at least one night

• … accounted for 69.1% of total tourists (domestic + inbound) visiting this region.

• … and stayed in non-rented accommodation establishments, increased by 8.1% over 2023, whereas those who stayed in rented accommodation decreased by 7.1% over the same period.

• … spent an estimate of €66.5 million, an decrease of 1.9 per cent when compared to 2023.

… Gozo and Comino residents who travelled to Malta region decreased significantly from 48,478 in 2023 to 40,556 in 2024.

In 2024, same-day visitors to Gozo and Comino accounted for 91.2% of the total inbound visitors to Gozo and Comino, totalling to 1,855,932 visitors.

The NSO said all content on the new portal is presented according to the official territorial classifications, covering NUTS 3, district and locality levels, supplemented by geospatial dimensions including 250m2 grid cells, as applicable.

The Regional Statistics MALTA publication evolved from Gozo in Figures, first released in 2012. Since then, its scope has grown significantly, with the Office continuously innovating to provide more comprehensive and accessible data.

The new portal features key insights on eight thematic areas namely Demography, Education, Labour Market, Economy, Transport, Tourism, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Resources.

The NSO said that unlike the traditional publication format, the portal will be regularly updated to ensure users have access to the most current data. For the full details on Regional Statistics, please click here.

File photo: Gozo News/Alain Salvary

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