The short and quick answer to your question is that 515,000 people live in Malta. That number was measured by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in Malta, which is the official entity in Malta for providing country wide statistics, in May 2019.
People Living in Malta
Population in Malta has been rising for many decades but in recent years the growth has been steeper. Thanks to a booming economy, one of the strongest within the EU, many foreign workers have moved to Malta and made it their home. A once very local Malta has become a multicultural island that includes a wide range of nationalities both European and non-European.
Maltese Population in Malta
The influx of foreigners is the only reason for the rise in population. In fact, the Maltese population in Malta is decreasing as the local fertility rate is that of 1.9, which is lower than the minimum required, 2.1, to at least maintain a population level.
As in other Western European countries, families in Malta have become smaller in recent decades. Up to the 1960s it was common for Maltese families to be made of 4 children or more. Nowadays most families have one or two children. This also means that the population of Maltese in Malta is an aging one.
How many people live in Malta? The Debate
Whilst the official number of people living in Malta is that of 515,000, different sources specify a different population for the Maltese islands. Here are some sources and the population numbers they specify.
According to worldometers.info, which is a worldwide statistics gatherer, the population of Malta as of 11th September 2020 was that of 441,775. They quote such a figure from the most recent United Nations data.
Another source, tradingeconomics.com which is also a statistical website states that Malta’s population is that of 500,000 according to the data they gathered in 2019.