According to the latest NSO statistics, the number of vehicles on Maltese roads continued increasing during the first quarter of 2026, with the total stock of licensed motor vehicles rising by approximately 3,245 vehicles, equivalent to an average net increase of around 36 vehicles per day. By the end of March 2026, the total number of licensed motor vehicles had reached 460,648, of which 73.3% were passenger cars.
The rate of new cars added to Maltese roads in the previous quarter was that of 35 cars per day with approximately 3,265 vehicles added.
The figures continue a long-term trend that has seen the number of vehicles on Maltese roads steadily increase year after year despite worsening congestion, rising pollution and repeated government promises to reduce traffic dependency.
By the end of 2025, the total stock of licensed motor vehicles in Malta had already reached 457,403 — an extraordinarily high figure for a country with Malta’s size and population density. Passenger cars accounted for 73.4% of all licensed vehicles.
The latest figures therefore suggest that the growth trend has continued into 2026 despite Malta already having one of the highest vehicle-to-population ratios in Europe.
The overwhelming majority of newly licensed vehicles continue to be passenger cars, while Malta also continues importing large quantities of second-hand vehicles. Previous NSO data showed that more than 40% of newly licensed vehicles consisted of used imports rather than new vehicles.
Newsroom
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