Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1526515
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 11 SEPTEMBER 2024 NEWS MATTHEW AGIUS magius@mediatoday.com.mt JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt AN analysis of population statistics released by the Na- tional Statistics Office (NSO) on Monday reveals significant differences in the age and gen- der composition of Maltese and foreign residents as of the end of 2023. While the gender distribu- tion among Maltese residents is nearly balanced, with 49.8% males and 50.2% females, the foreign population shows a stark contrast, with 61.1% males and 38.9% females. The foreign population is also con- siderably younger, with a me- dian age of 32 years compared to 43 years among Maltese res- idents. This also suggests that the average age of foreigners has decreased from 34.9 in the census carried out in 2021 to 32. Moreover compared to 2021 the percentage of malese among the foreign population has increased from 59.3% to 61.1%. These demographic differ- ences are further underscored by the old-age dependency ra- tio, which measures the num- ber of people aged 65 or older per 100 working-age individu- als (aged 20 to 64). This ratio indicates the level of economic pressure on the working-age population to support the elderly. For the Maltese population, the old-age dependency ratio has been rising steadily since 2012, increasing from 28.2 to 41.8 in 2023. This reflects an aging Mal- tese population with a growing number of elderly dependents. In contrast, the foreign pop- ulation's ratio has been de- clining, dropping from 17.0 in 2012 to just 4.4 in 2023. This significant decline re- flects the relatively younger age structure of the foreign community, which includes fewer elderly dependents. The overall dependency ratio for the total population has re- mained relatively stable since 2012. This is likely due to the contrasting trends between the aging Maltese population and the younger foreign co- hort. As of 2023, the foreign pop- ulation in Malta numbered 158,368, making up 28.1% of the total population. Between 2022 and 2023, the foreign population grew by 15.3%, while the Maltese population saw a minimal in- crease of just 0.1%, rising from 404,675 to 405,075. 61% of foreigners in Malta are males - NSO Average age of foreigners is 10 years lower than that of Maltese residents The average age of foreigners has decreased from 34.9 in the census carried out in 2021 to 32 THE Court of Criminal Appeal has confirmed the conviction and punishment handed to Heathcliff Farrugia in May for informing Yorgen Fenech about an anti-money laundering re- view that was going to be con- ducted at a rival casino in 2019. At the time Fenech was the owner of the Portomaso Casi- no. Magistrate Ian Farrugia had found Farrugia guilty of unlaw- fully disclosing information he had obtained by virtue of his office and revealing profession- al secrets in May, for which he had been handed a three-year conditional discharge. Farrugia had resigned in Oc- tober 2020 following his ar- raignment over his commu- nications with Fenech, who is awaiting trial for the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and who was also owner of Porto- maso Casino. The chats had been found during the analysis of Fenech's phone, after it was seized by police investigators in Decem- ber 2019 during his arrest in connection with Caruana Gal- izia's murder. Investigators had examined 24 pages of texts that were exchanged on 23 September, 2019, between 9pm and 10pm, and showed that Fenech had communicated his disappoint- ment with the result of a recent anti-money laundering compli- ance review at Tumas Gaming to Farrugia. Tumas Gaming was the oper- ator of the Oracle Casino and the Portomaso Casino. Fenech had complained to Farrugia that the review had given his organisation a bad reputation. Farrugia had tried to soften the blow to Fenech in his reply, telling him that he would delay the release of the compliance report, and revealing that an- other inspection was also going to take place at Casino Malta, owned by Tumas' business ri- val, Eden Leisure Group. In a judgement handed down by Mr. Justice Neville Camill- eri in the Court of Criminal Appeal on Tuesday, the judge rejected the appeal and con- firmed the sentence, ruling that the court of first instance had been justified in reaching its conclusions. Former MGA chief executive officer Heathcliff Farrugia Former Gaming Authority CEO's conviction over casino raid tip-off confirmed on appeal Court of Criminal Appeal confirms the conviction and punishment handed to Heathcliff Farrugia in May for informing Yorgen Fenech about an anti-money laundering review that was going to be conducted at a rival casino in 2019