Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1517228
7 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 MARCH 2024 KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt THE National Statistics Office has debunked claims by the Op- position leader on the country's true population size. According to the NSO, the standard resident population to- tals 550,000, "with no scientific evidence indicating otherwise." In an interview the Sunday after Kusi Dismark was repat- riated from Malta, Opposition leader Bernard Grech repeated earlier claims that the country's population doubled in size since 2013. from 422,509 in 2013. Eurostat data shows that Mal- ta's population was estimated at 422,509 in 2013, which means that it would now stand at around 840,000 if Grech's claim is correct - a longshot from the 550,000-figure established in the NSO's 2021 Census. But in replies to questions from this newspaper, the NSO said the Census included informa- tion about the 'usual resident' population. The term 'usual resident' refers to individuals who live in a particular area for a significant amount of time and consider that location as their usual place of residence. This concept is often used in demo- graphic and statistical contexts, especially when collecting cen- sus or population data. "Irregular or unoccupied mi- grants are also included in the resident population with the same rules of usual residence applying. Asylum seekers and persons who have applied for or have been granted refugee status or other types of international protection are included in the resident population if the dura- tion of stay in Malta is, or is ex- pected to be, at least 12 months," a spokesperson said. The spokesperson insisted the 'usual resident population' measurement is applied by all EU member state countries and beyond. "The present statistics show that the standard resident pop- ulation totals 550,000, with no scientific evidence indicating otherwise," the NSO spokesper- son concluded. Malta has experienced a pop- ulation boom over the past dec- ade, fuelled by liberal economic policies that required the impor- tation of foreign workers. The rapid increase in population has caused strain on the country's infrastructure and fuelled social tension. The issue of migration and population is one of the top con- cerns for voters, according to MaltaToday polling data. The issue was once again thrust onto the national stage when Ghanaian Kusi Dismark was repatriated to his country after living in Malta for more than a decade. Reacting to the news the Sun- day after the incident, Oppo- sition leader Bernard Grech reiterated a claim first made in parliament last November that the Census was not a correct reflection of Malta's true popu- lation size. He insisted that since 2013 the population "almost doubled", going as far as saying official sta- tistics were "hiding the true pop- ulation". Grech said Dismark's case was proof of how the au- thorities catch small numbers of undocumented migrants living in Malta from time to time. NSO debunks Grech's claim population doubled since 2013 Bernard Grech