The housing stock in Malta saw a remarkable rise of 73,454 units over the past decade, climbing from 223,850 in 2011 to 297,304 in 2021.

That could be imagined as 20 new dwellings being built every single day for 10 years.

This 33% surge over a decade marks an unprecedented four-fold expansion compared to the housing numbers from a hundred years ago.

Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) reveals that on average, approximately 7,345 new dwellings were added annually during this period, setting a record for the largest decade-to-decade growth in housing numbers ever documented.

Of the total occupied residences, 51,278 or 24% were home to residents not originally from Malta revealing a quintuple increase in the number of non-Maltese residents since 2011.

During the same ten-year span, the share of furnished rental properties grew by 13.3 percentage points. The highest monthly rents were observed in Sliema, where the average was €1,150, closely followed by St Julian’s and Swieqi, both averaging €1,100. Conversely, the lowest rents were found in Birgu (€553), Għajnsielem (€600), and Żurrieq (€600).

The census data also shows that 81,613 dwellings, or slightly over a quarter of the total, were not permanently occupied, serving instead as secondary or seasonal homes, or remaining completely vacant. This number represents an increase of 10,533 such units since 2011.

However, there is a notable shift towards dwellings being used as primary residences; the percentage of non-permanently occupied properties dropped from 32% to 27.5%. In Gozo, almost half (45%) of all residences are not primarily occupied.

St. Paul’s Bay led the regions in housing numbers, accounting for 23,738 units or 8% of the total housing rise. This locality alone experienced an increase of 6,145 dwellings since 2011.

Other areas seeing significant growth in occupied homes were Sliema and Msida.

For the first time in the country’s history, flats and penthouses have become the predominant type of main residence, comprising 48.4% of all primary dwellings. Nearly half of these were either built or renovated after the year 2000.

What do you make of these stats?