Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545107
GOZO: THE REAL BELLWETHER DISTRICT Gozo has an average age of 44.2 compared to Malta's 42.5, making it older than the main- land. Around 22.9% of Gozitan residents are aged 65 or over, compared to 18.1% in Malta. The oldest localities are PN-leaning San Lawrenz (48.5), followed by Rabat (47.2) and Nadur (45.4). The La- bour-leaning Sannat (41.7) is among the youngest. Gozo also has fewer foreign workers, who generally have a rejuvenating effect on the population structure. In 2024, Malta had 159,446 foreign resi- dents (30.5% of its population), while Gozo hosted 9,492, mak- ing up 23% of its population. Beyond migration, Gozo has also experienced internal mi- gration, with a growing num- ber of Maltese buying second homes on the island. This has contributed to overdevelop- ment, with 7,688 new dwell- ings approved in Gozo between 2018 and 2023. This process reflects both in- creased economic activity and planning policies facilitating the approval of large five-sto- rey apartment blocks. Coastal localities such as Marsalforn and Xlendi have also seen even taller developments of up to 12 storeys on sloping sites. While many Gozitans ben- efit from the property boom, resistance to the "uglification" of sensitive Gozitan landscapes has grown over the years. The number of new dwellings rose from 227 in 2013 to 712 in 2017, then to a record 1,885 in 2022, before dropping to 1,241 in 2023. A KPMG study in 2022 showed that properties in Gozo are around 20% cheaper than in southern Malta, which itself is about 30% cheaper than the Northern Harbour region. The large number of main- land Maltese buying proper- ty in Gozo is also reflected in the number of voters who live in Malta but retain their reg- istered address in Gozo, and therefore vote there. Official statistics also show that Gozitans are general- ly wealthier in assets and less vulnerable to poverty than res- idents on the main island, de- spite historically lower or com- parable cash incomes. Over 4 ANALYSIS 4 maltatoday | THURSDAY • 28 MAY 2026 ELECTION 2026 Year PL PN Others Turnout 2003 40.8% 58.8% 0.4% 95% 2008 42.9% 55.4% 1.7% 92.3% 2013 49.1% 50.1% 0.8% 92% 2017 51.2% 47.9% 0.9% 91.6% 2022 53.5% 43.9% 2.6% 88% District 13: General election results Source: Electoral Commission How demographics are reshaping In a five-part series James Debono explores how Malta's shifting age profiles, urbanisation patterns and internal Locality Average Age Għajnsielem 43.3 Fontana 42.3 Munxar 40.6 Qala 44.3 Nadur 45.4 Rabat 47.2 Xagħra 42.7 Xewkija 44.7 Żebbuġ 42.6 Għarb 41.6 Għasri 42.6 San Lawrenz 48.5 Kerċem 43.3 Sannat 41.7 Total 44.2 Note: Average age is that of Maltese residents only. Source: NSO District 13: Towns and age The large number of mainland Maltese buying property in Gozo is also reflected in the number of voters who live in Malta but retain their registered address in Gozo, and therefore vote there