English Language in Malta Is Now Most Spoken National Language

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The Latitude Take on the English Language in Malta’s Popularity

July 2024’s announcement that the English language in Malta is now the language most widely across the country did not catch our Latitude Malta Managing Partner Ryan Darmanin by surprise. “I grew up here,” explains Darmanin. “It’s becoming noticeable that the younger generation favours English over Maltese, although the latter will never die out as we’re committed to our heritage in Malta.”

“It always comes as a shock to first-time visitors though,” our Maltese Residency and Citizenship by Investment expert, continues.  “We’re an island group in the Mediterranean, after all.” 

“You can’t imagine this happening in the Balearics, for example, and perhaps this is why expats find it easier to settle in Malta.”

“Actual physical residence is not a requirement for the Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP). But it’s reassuring for investors to know that should they choose to relocate, there will be no language barrier to navigate.” 

“This also makes Maltese Exceptional Investor Naturalization (MEIN) a more family-friendly option compared to other Citizenship by Investment programmes elsewhere.”

Malta Has Skills

Where did we find out what the English language has overtaken Malta’s other official language, Malta, in usage? Through the country’s National Statistics Office. In October 2022, they commissioned a nationwide Skills Survey of the Maltese workforce.

The NSO released a preliminary summary of the findings in June 2023, and this Final Report in July 2024. Following a foreword by Director General, Etienne Caruana, you’ll find a Contents Page which reveals the report divides into 5 colour-coded chapters. Chapter 4 is the one that interests us most as it’s titled “Knowledge of languages”.

We learn that “the two top languages persons aged 15-64 were proficient in at the time of the survey were English (96.0 per cent) and Maltese (90.4 per cent).” 

Later, in “TABLE 4.1 Persons with at least basic knowledge in the top 10 languages by socio-demographic characteristics”, we discover that 143,604 men in Malta have basic knowledge of English compared to 136,061 who have basic knowledge of Maltese. Of the women of working age in Malta, 136,541 have basic knowledge of English and 127,698 basic knowledge of Maltese.

Residency and Citizenship by Investment in Malta

The MPRP is unlike other European Residency by Investment programmes. With this Residency by Investment,  you can, as is also the case in Greece, Portugal, and Spain, naturalize through residing in Malta. The MPRP stipulates 15 years in the country but there’s no language test to take like elsewhere in Europe.

MEIN is also not like other Citizenship by Investment programmes. That’s because it’s the only European one. The ever-growing usage of the English language in Malta is another advantage.

How to Choose Between MEIN and MPRP

Every investor is different, with specific needs and wants. To get the best lowdown on Maltese Citizenship and Residency by Investment, consult an investment migration firm with an office in Malta like Latitude. So, don’t delay and contact us today.