Close to 13,000 people in Malta are working beyond retirement age, new figures have revealed.

Tabled by Employment Minister Evarist Bartolo in parliament, the statistics revealed that 9,415 men and 3,405 over the age of 62 are still working to some degree or another.

The reasons for someone working beyond retirement age could be varied, while some people simply want to continue you in their profession to come capacity, others are forced to stay in the workforce to keep up with costs.

Less than 10% of the group appear to be self-employed, with around 1,100 people over 62 registered for VAT.

Malta does currently face some issues with its elderly population,  while pensions have increased, so has the cost of living. NSO figures show that more than a quarter of all people in Malta aged 65 and over are at risk of falling beneath the poverty line.

A severe income disparity is also apparent in the figures, with 20% of the highest income earners over 65 earning three times as much as the lowest 20%.

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