Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1506906
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 3 SEPTEMBER 2023 NEWS Census: more dwellings, more 55,572 dwellings built after 2016 55,572 dwellings were built after 2016. These account for 26% of all permanently oc- cupied dwellings in Malta. The largest number of hous- es built after 2016 is found in St Paul's Bay (6,192), Sliema (3,433), Msida (3,135) and Gzira (2,464). Post-2016 hous- es now account for 50% of all occupied dwellings in Msida and 47% of all houses in Gzira, two localities which have been completely transformed in the past decade. A third of properties are inhab- ited by one person The number of households inhabited by a single individu- al has doubled from 34,637 in 2011 to 70,123 in 2021. These households now account for a third of the total number of occupied dwellings. Approx- imately the same percentage was comprised of two-mem- ber households, while another third consisted of households with either three or four mem- bers. 48,871 vacant or seasonal prop- erties are in a good state 60% of secondary, seasonally used, or vacant dwellings are in a good state of repair while a further 15% only need minor repairs. The Census found a to- tal of 81,613 properties which are not used all year round up from 71,080 in 2011. Although the number of va- cant or seasonal properties has increased in absolute terms these properties now account for 27.5% of all dwellings down from 32% in 2011. But in an indication that this category includes a number of newly built properties the overall percentage of unoccu- pied properties which are in a good state of repair has in- creased from 50% in 2011 to 60% in 2021. The largest number of vacant properties which are in a good state is found in St Paul's Bay (6,473), Sliema (2,687), Marsas- kala (2,321) and Żebbuġ, Gozo (2,505), localities also known as popular summer resorts. But a considerable number of vacant properties in a good state, is also found in locali- ties like Msida (1,687), Mos- ta (1,551), Birkirkara (1,382) Swieqi (1,350) and Naxxar (1,254). Six-fold increase in solar panels but localities with most new de- velopment have lower take-up The number of solar panels has increased six-fold from just 3,045 or 2% of all occupied dwellings in 2011 to 26,712 (12%). The proportion of dwell- ings with a PV installation in- creases to 22% in Gozo. But the Census suggests that localities characterised by low rise ter- raced houses are more likely to have access to solar energy than localities characterised by apartment blocks built in more More dwellings, more single- member households, more vacant dwellings in a good state, more ACs and solar panels, but less wells. JAMES DEBONO maps out six major changes from the 2011 Census Half of all occupied dwellings in Msida were built after 2016