445,711 licensed motor vehicles in Malta as of December 2024

At the end of December 2024, the stock of licensed motor vehicles in the country stood at 445,711, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said.

Out of this total, 74.1% were passenger cars, 14.3% were commercial and agricultural motor vehicles and 10.9% were motorcycles/E-bikes/PA-bikes, E-kick scooters, quadricycles and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), the NSO said.

Buses and minibuses amounted to less than 1%. “During the quarter under review, the stock of licensed motor vehicles increased at a net average rate of 27 motor vehicles per day.”

Newly licensed motor vehicles

Newly licensed motor vehicles put on the road during the period under review amounted to 5,650, the NSO said.

“The majority of newly licensed motor vehicles, 3,580 or 63.4% of the total, were passenger cars, followed by motorcycles/E-bikes/PA-bikes with 1,082 or 19.2%. Newly licensed ‘new’ motor vehicles amounted to 3,271 or 57.9% of the total, whereas newly licensed ‘used’ motor vehicles totalled 2,379 or 42.1%.  An average of 61 motor vehicles per day were newly licensed during the quarter under review.”

Motor vehicles under restriction

During the fourth quarter of 2024, 7,038 motor vehicles were taken off the road due to restrictions. Out of these, 39.3% were garaged, 29.9% were resold, and 29.4% were scrapped, the NSO said. “Motor vehicles that had their restriction ending during the quarter under review totalled 4,339. The majority were recorded as being garaged 53.2% or resold 46%.”

Motor energy type

As at the end of December 2024, 259,339 motor vehicles or 58.2% of the total had petrol-powered engines. Diesel-powered motor vehicles reached 156,230 or 35.1% of the total, it said.

“Electric and plug-in hybrid motor vehicles accounted for 4% of the entire stock, with a total of 17,759 motor vehicles. When compared to the previous quarter, increases of 13.5%, 4.7% and 3.7% were registered in electric, mild hybrid (petrol-electric) , and mild hybrid (diesel-electric) motor vehicles respectively.”