Legislative amendments, particularly the shift to dual and multiple citizenship, and the 2007 amendments are reflected in the Malta Citizenship Statistics for the period 1991-2013. The Malta Citizenship Statistics portrays that the number of citizenships acquired by registration rose sharply from the year 2000 onward. It is also observed that with the introduction of the Maltese Individual Investor Programme in 2013, there has been a slight increase in the figures relating to citizenship acquired by naturalisation.
Malta Citizenship Statistics 1991-2013
From an annual average of 111 in the 1990s, the number of registrations increased up to 512 in 2000 and 1062 in 2001 and has remained in the region of 500 a year ever since. The figure of 1062 in 2001 remains the highest figure recorded for citizenship registrations in Malta. This increase is attributed by the Maltese National Statistics Office in the 2001 Demographic Review to the removal of the prohibition against dual and multiple citizenship by the legislative amendments that entered into force by virtue of the 2000 amendments.
Malta Citizenship Statistics by Registration 1991-2013
The above table gives a breakdown of the figures for acquisition by registration for 1998-2013 according to the grounds for registration for 1998-2013 according to the grounds for registration and shows that it was mostly foreign spouses, children born abroad to a female citizens of Malta and former citizens of Malta who had lost their citizenship because of the possession or acquisition of another citizenship that took advantage of the change in policy regarding dual and multiple citizenship to acquire Maltese citizenship by registration. The last two grounds 'minor children of Maltese descent' and 'persons of Maltese descent' are the new grounds introduced by the 2007 amendments.
Malta Citizenship Statistics 2013-2016
In 2014, 314 applications for Maltese citizenship were approved with the largest majority being UK citizens (29.6%), followed by Italian (10.2%) and Russian citizens (7%).
According to information tabled in the Maltese Parliament in May 2016 by the Minister for Citizenship, it was confirmed that 667 individuals have applied under the Maltese Citizenship by Investment Programme as of last April. A total of 143 main applicants have been approved and granted Maltese citizenship while the rest of the applications were still being processed. Out of these applications, 84 main applicants have been refused after a serious due diligence process done by Identity Malta Citizenship Agency.
Malta Citizenship Quota
The total MIIP Quota or cap on the number of citizenship applications approved stands at 1,800 for the whole programme.
