Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) (school both) in Malta
Malta: Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) (school both) was 51,702 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
51,702
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
163rd
of 197 countries
All-time high
59,975
in 2001
All-time low
45,693
in 2013
Years of data
24
2001–2024
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Malta, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Malta stood at 51,702.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Malta peaked at 59,975 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 45,693, in 2013.
Malta ranks 163rd of 197 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) (school both) in Malta, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 59,975 | — |
| 2002 | 59,440 | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 58,975 | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 58,027 | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 56,808 | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 55,599 | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 53,730 | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 51,918 | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 50,354 | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 48,793 | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 47,599 | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 46,476 | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 45,693 | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 45,942 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 46,518 | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 47,079 | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 47,311 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 47,953 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 48,565 | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 49,373 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 49,468 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 49,877 | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 50,811 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 51,702 | +1.8% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 51,702 is below the median for high income countries, which is 607,680, 9% of the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Malta's 51,702 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 2.26 million, 2% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 56,092 | 50,354 | 59,975 | 9 |
| 2010s | 47,193 | 45,693 | 48,793 | 10 |
| 2020s | 50,246 | 49,373 | 51,702 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More education data for Malta
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4,664 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 70 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4,949 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4,626 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 32,424 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 27,337 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.1 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0495 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Malta?
- Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Malta was 51,702 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 59,975 in 2001.
- What is the lowest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 45,693 in 2013.
- How does Malta rank for population of compulsory school age, both sexes?
- Malta ranks 163rd out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population of compulsory school age, both sexes rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malta data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release