Malta: crime and justice

What is the crime rate in Malta?

Police in Malta recorded 4,235 thefts in 2024, up from 3,716 in 2023, according to Eurostat. They recorded 2,347 frauds, 726 burglaries, 246 robberies, 236 serious assaults and 141 sexual violence offences.

Robberies rose from 176 in 2023, while burglaries fell from 839 and frauds from 2,855. Acts against computer systems fell from 855 to 478. These are offences recorded by the police in selected categories, not a total of all crime, and changes can reflect reporting and recording practices as well as crime itself. Eurostat does not publish a single crime rate.

Official sources: Eurostat: police-recorded offences by category, Malta

How many murders are there in Malta?

Police in Malta recorded 5 intentional homicides in 2024, or 0.89 per 100,000 people, according to Eurostat. There were 2 in 2023 (0.37 per 100,000) and 8 in 2022 (1.54 per 100,000).

A further 6 attempted intentional homicides were recorded in 2024, according to Eurostat. Because the numbers are small, the rate per 100,000 can move sharply from one year to the next, so several years together give a better picture than a single year.

Official sources: Eurostat: intentional homicides, Malta · Eurostat: police-recorded offences by category, Malta

How many people are in prison in Malta?

697 people were held in prison in Malta in 2024, or 123.7 per 100,000 people, according to Eurostat. The official prison capacity was 810 places.

The number held rose from 559 in 2022 and 672 in 2023. Official capacity was 952 places in both of those years, so capacity fell in 2024 while the number of prisoners rose. The count covers all persons held in prison, including those awaiting trial.

Official sources: Eurostat: prison capacity and persons held, Malta

How many police officers does Malta have?

Malta had 2,151 police officers in 2024, or 381.76 per 100,000 people, according to Eurostat. There were 2,125 in 2023 (392.03 per 100,000).

The number of officers rose in 2024, but the rate per 100,000 people fell, because the population grew faster. The figures count police officers as an occupation in the criminal justice system and may not include civilian staff.

Official sources: Eurostat: police officers, Malta

How many murders are there in Malta?

The latest figure from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, for 2023, is 0.6 per 100,000. Since 2005 it has ranged from 0.0 per 100,000 (2006) to 2.8 per 100,000 (2012). Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan median: 1.1 per 100,000; Malta is 5th highest of 6. Worldwide: 75th of 79.

What is the female homicide rate in Malta?

The latest figure from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, for 2023, is 0.8 per 100,000. Its high point since 2005 was 2018, at 1.7 per 100,000; its low point was 2020, at 0.4 per 100,000. It is 1st highest of 5 in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, where the median is 0.5 per 100,000. Worldwide: 47th of 78.

What is the male homicide rate in Malta?

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime puts the homicide rate for men in Malta at 0.4 per 100,000 in 2023. It is the bottom of the series, which starts in 2005. Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan median: 1.2 per 100,000; Malta is 4th highest of 5. Worldwide: 75th of 78.