Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545828
WE did not really need to have it spelt out for us that we have a large foreign population, because every catering establishment, every supermarket, every care home, every construction site and every bus stop with queues of pa- tient commuters reminds us of this every day. But for those who want it on black and white, the recent infor- mation published by the National Statistics Office on World Popu- lation Day gives us the numbers. • The estimated resident pop- ulation of Malta and Gozo stood at 588,254 at the end of 2025, an increase of 2.4% when compared to the previous year. • This is made up of 68.9% Mal- tese citizens and 31.1% non-Mal- tese, most of whom are between the ages of 20 - 49. • Net migration (immigration minus emigration) amounted to 13,906 people. • Non-EU citizens made up 78.1% of total net migrants, out of which men accounted for 62.5%. The Maltese population mean- while is an ageing one. According to the same report, one out of five people is over 65 years of age and coupled with a declining birth rate, it is easy to see why we have been told by successive Labour administrations that we need a foreign workforce to pay for our pensions. With a total of 4,005 people aged 90 and over, a cohort which inev- itably requires 24/7 care, we also need a large number of staff in the caring sector. Again, the high ra- tio of foreigners when compared to Maltese employees in this field is something we can see for our- selves at nursing homes where the number of locals is minimal. The numbers tell us the facts about our demographic make-up, but what do they tell us about the future? Will the government change course because it can see how this economic model has rubbed people the wrong way, leading to a palpable, almost dangerous, seething resentment? Or will it persist, insisting that "we cannot go back now" because it claims the economy will collapse? It also depends on what we, the Maltese people, actually want and are prepared to do. Are we ready to start paying into private pension plans rather than de- pending on the state? Are those young people fresh out of school ready to step into low level jobs and climb the ladder slowly, or is everyone expecting to enter the working world as a manager with a corner office? Are the Maltese ready to go back to having just one income rather than raking in the equivalent of another salary or more by renting out flats to those dreaded foreigners? As for the menial jobs which we have now come to depend on for our convenience, whether it is food delivery at home or a cab waiting outside our door, you have to be careful what you wish for. Bye bye foreigners means bye bye your Saturday night takea- way. When it comes to more crucial sectors, if every TCN had to lay down their tools for a week (met- aphorically speaking) it would be a graphic illustration of how much they contribute and how much we rely on them for Malta to function. Ultimately, if we want that 31% of non-Maltese residents to de- crease, we have to be honest with ourselves and ask, how much of our current lifestyle are we willing to give up? Cocaine use: Fact vs fiction While we are on the subject of numbers, Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield recently quot- ed a study which reported that roughly 554 people in Malta use cocaine. This was met with in- credulity and it was immediately pointed out that this number re- fers to self-reported use by those who are seeking treatment. In the underbelly of the drug world, the number who actually use coke is unquantified. If the anecdotes I've heard are anything to go by, cocaine has become the recreational drug of choice which is used as casually as ordering a drink at a bar. Wed- dings, the village festa, Holy Com- munion parties and any sort of party really is an excuse to slip out and sniff some coke. An investi- gative report carried out by the Times of Malta last year seems to confirm this, with people describ- ing the liberal use of coke in bars and clubs with the tell-tale sign being a line of people waiting to go into the toilets. In its fact check of Bedingfield's claims, the Times refers to other sources which reflect the actual situation. According to one Cari- tas report, cocaine-related emer- gencies increased by 56% between 2022 and 2023. Likewise, Malta's 2024 National Drug Report re- ported that the share of people seeking treatment for cocaine-re- lated issues has risen from just 4% in 2003 to 26% in 2019 and a hefty 41% in 2023. Meanwhile, 57% of people seek- ing treatment for the first time pointed to cocaine as their drug of choice, signalling the drug's grow- ing presence on Malta's streets. In total, 938 people had sought treatment for cocaine addiction in 2023, the report says. The 2024 National Drug Report estimated that more than 2,000 people were considered "high- risk cocaine users". I think if we really want a true picture of the situation, Col. Da- vid P Attard in an op-ed piece, suggested a much more accurate method: Continuous wastewa- ter-based drug monitoring. He explained: "Widely used across Europe, wastewater analysis pro- vides objective, near real-time estimates of community drug consumption and complements survey and treatment data. Intro- ducing such monitoring would provide policymakers and law enforcement with a clearer pic- ture of changing consumption patterns." When it comes to drug use, it would be foolish to downplay the reality just because it makes a good headline. Politicians like to pat themselves on the back in this way, trying to convince themselves that everything is under control. But this is a false kind of comfort when the word on the street paints a very differ- ent picture. I only had to speak to a handful of acquaintances and friends about this issue to learn just how prevalent cocaine use is, and how those who use it socially brush it off so nonchalantly. Emergency doctors, however, will tell you a different story. 3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 JULY 2026 OPINION Josanne Cassar She has worked in the field of communications and journalism for the last 30 years Now that we know the numbers, will anything change? When it comes to more crucial sectors, if every TCN had to lay down their tools for a week (metaphorically speaking) it would be a graphic illustration of how much they contribute and how much we rely on them for Malta to function