Malta’s population is on a steady decline, and drastic measures are needed to reverse the trend, a conference organised by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE) heard last week.

Economics lecturer Rose Marie Azzopardi revealed that today’s Maltese childbearing generation needs to have at least three children per family for the population to increase.

Even with this shift, it would take 60 years—two generations—for results to materialise.

“We need to convince today’s generation, those who prefer raising cats and dogs instead of children, to have at least three children,” Azzopardi said, emphasising the urgency of addressing Malta’s record-low fertility rates.

With the lowest fertility rate in the EU at 1.08 children per woman, Malta is far below the replacement rate of 2.1 needed for population stability. The last time Malta’s fertility rate reached 2 was in 1997, a significant decline from 1963, when it stood at 3.7.

Adding to the challenge, one-third of children born in Malta today have non-Maltese mothers, reflecting changing demographics and migration patterns.

Azzopardi noted that Malta’s population decline is not a new phenomenon, referencing similar trends in the 1950s and 1960s due to emigration. “We are only paying attention to this now because we are at the bottom,” she remarked.

Even if families opt for slightly more than two children, the population would remain stagnant rather than grow. Without change, it could take up to 90 years to recover.

Are you willing to have three children for Malta’s population?