Languages spoken in Malta
Europe · Capital: Valletta · Population 574,250
In Malta, two languages have official status: Maltese and English. Maltese is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 100% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 574,250 people. After Maltese, the most widely spoken are English at 88% and Italian at 56%. Maltese belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. In total, four languages are recorded in Malta, and their shares add up to 257% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 2.6 of them.
What languages are spoken in Malta?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| MalteseAfro-Asiatic | 100% | Official | 574,250 |
| EnglishIndo-European | 88% | Official | 505,340 |
| ItalianIndo-European | 56% | Spoken | 321,580 |
| FrenchIndo-European | 13% | Spoken | 74,653 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Malta?
In Malta, two languages have official status: Maltese and English. Maltese is spoken by an estimated 100% of the population, or roughly 574,250 people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Maltese in Malta?
An estimated 100% of Malta's 574,250 people speak Maltese, which works out at roughly 574,250 speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Malta
- Capital
- Valletta
- Population
- 574,250
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 316 km²
- Currency
- EUR
- Languages recorded
- 4
- Land borders
- None
- ISO codes
- MT / MLT / 470
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Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.