One-third of babies born in 2023 were delivered by non-Maltese mothers

One-third of babies born in 2023, or 1,499, were delivered by foreign mothers, according to figures tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

Answering a Parliamentary Question put forward by PN MP Paula Mifsud Bonnici, Minister Clyde Caruana shared that during the year, a total of 4,462 live births were registered.

Consistent with the trend noted in live births over the past years, children born to Maltese mothers are decreasing, while children born from foreign mothers are on the increase.

While 2023 recorded the highest total number of live births compared to the previous three years, the number of babies born to Maltese mothers was the lowest during this period. In total, 2,963 babies—representing 66.4 per cent of all live births—were delivered by Maltese mothers.

In 2023, the death rate was the lowest since 2020, with a total of 4,030 deaths recorded. Of these, 2,034 were males, while 1,996 were females. However, consistent with global trends, women tend to outlive men. Among the deceased women, 1,239 were aged 80 years or older, compared to 1,131 males who passed away at any age between 0 and 79.