Nearly 30% Of Malta’s Workforce Are Third-Country Nationals

Less than 28% of people working in Malta and Gozo are third-country nationals, according to information tabled in Parliament.

MP Julian Borg asked Infrastructure, Planning and Employment Minister Jonathan Attard for a breakdown of the 341,193 people who, as of the end of January 2026, were working full-time or part-time as their main employment.

Attard said that more than 72% are Maltese and EU citizens combined, with the remainder being third-country nationals.

The figures come amid an ongoing national debate about Malta’s growing population and reliance on foreign labour.

A MaltaToday survey in 2025 found overpopulation was the country’s top concern, ahead of traffic, while concern about foreign workers also featured among the issues raised by respondents.

At the same time, employers continue to report labour shortages in a number of sectors, with Malta increasingly relying on foreign workers to fill vacancies.

Part of the debate has centred around jobs that businesses say are becoming harder to fill locally, particularly in labour-intensive and lower-paid sectors, while others have raised concerns about whether Malta’s infrastructure, housing and public services can keep up with continued population growth.

However, the parliamentary answer did not provide a separate figure showing exactly how many workers are Maltese and how many are citizens of other EU countries.

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Source: Jonathan Attard