Passenger and vehicle traffic between Malta and Gozo continues steady growth in Q3

Sea transport activity between Malta and Gozo continued to grow in the third quarter of 2025, with both passenger and vehicle traffic recording year-on-year increases, according to the latest figures from the National Statistics Office (NSO).

Between July and September 2025, a total of 12,064 ferry trips were carried out between the two islands, representing a 0.8 per cent increase over the same quarter in 2024. The number of vehicles carried rose by two per cent to 600,695, while passenger movements reached 2,089,047, up 5.6 per cent on last year’s levels.

Weekday and weekend trends

The NSO data shows that the busiest day for crossings remained Sunday, with 3,818 trips recorded between January and September – a 2.9 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2024. The heaviest vehicle traffic was also noted on Sundays, up five per cent to 238,290 vehicles.

Passenger numbers climbed across all days of the week, with total movements between Mġarr and Ċirkewwa increasing by 2.9 per cent to 4.6 million passengers in the first nine months of 2025.

Fast ferry services gain further ground

The fast ferry service between Mġarr and Valletta also saw continued growth, carrying 377,536 passengers in Q3 2025, up 17.9 per cent compared to the previous year. Over the first three quarters of 2025, trip numbers increased by 33.3 per cent in Q1 and 15.3 per cent in Q2, reflecting a steady rise in commuter and tourist demand for the faster route.

Between January and September 2025, total fast ferry passenger traffic stood at 928,117, with the busiest month being August, when more than 72,700 passengers used the service.

Cumulatively, between January and September 2025, Gozo Channel ferries operated over 26,000 trips, transported more than 1.6 million vehicles, and carried around 4.6 million passengers between the two islands.