World Population Day is observed annually by the international community on 11 July. The theme chosen this year is “Calling Attention to Urgent Global Issues.”

“This year’s World Population Day falls during a milestone year, when we anticipate the birth of the Earth’s seven billionth inhabitant,” UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon states in a message for today’s commemoration. The world’s population went up from 1 billion in 1,810 to nearly 7 billion last year. Over the same time span, the population of Malta advanced from 93,000 in 1,807 to nearly 418,000 last year.

The total population at the end of 2010 stood at 417,608, of which just over half were females. Persons under 18 comprised 19 per cent of the total, while a further 16 per cent were aged 65 and over, of which 1,730 persons (1,220 females and 510 males) were 90 and over. The total population estimates are calculated using the 2009 population as a base, and taking into consideration births, deaths, adoptions of foreigners, immigration and emigration. The population increased by 0.8 per cent over 2009, mainly due to a net migration (immigration less emigration) total of 2,200.

A time series analysis of births shows that, in spite of annual increases over the previous two years, the number of births dropped by 3 per cent in 2010. This was largely due to a decrease in the number of births in Malta, by 5 per cent, while births in Gozo advanced by 19 per cent. Deaths also went down by 7 per cent, from 3,221 in 2009 to 3,010 in 2010. It can be observed that the largest drop was for persons aged 25-34, where the total number of deaths fell by 36 per cent over 2009. Persons aged 75 and over made up 61 per cent of the total, while females made up just over half.

2010 saw an increase in the number of marriages, the highest number since 2000. This increase brings the crude marriage rate for 2010 to 6.2. The most popular age for men to get married was between 25 and 29, with 41 per cent of grooms falling in this age bracket. Brides were slightly younger on average, with 43 per cent aged 20-24. Interestingly, 51 grooms were aged 60 and over, while just six brides fell in this age bracket.

A total of 566 separations were registered at the Public Registry in 2010, of which 90 per cent involved marriages where both spouses were Maltese. Furthermore 47 divorces obtained abroad were recognised by the Maltese Authorities. Nearly two-thirds were cases where the previous marriage lasted 10 years and over, while just under one-tenth involved marriages which had taken place less than 5 years earlier. 124 annulments – 29 religious and 95 civil – were registered in the year under review, with the largest proportion regarding previous marriages that had lasted 10-19 years.

Permalink: Marriages up, births are down in Malta but going up in Gozo