The number of residential property sales registered in Malta declined during May 2026, according to new figures published by the National Statistics Office (NSO), although the overall value of transactions continued to rise.
Data released by NSO on Wednesday showed that 1,157 final deeds of sale relating to residential property were registered during the month of May 2026, representing a decrease of 45 deeds of sale, or 3.7%, when compared to May 2025.
Despite the decline in the number of transactions, the total value of these deeds reached €342.3 million, an increase of 2.5% over the corresponding month last year.
The NSO also reported a fall in residential property demand indicators, with 1,316 promise of sale agreements registered in May.
This represented a decrease of 61 agreements, or 4.4%, compared with the same period in 2025. However, the total value of these agreements rose sharply to €604 million, marking a year-on-year increase of 29.2%, the NSO said.
According to NSO, individual buyers remained the dominant participants in the residential property market. Of the 1,157 during May, 1,053, or 91%, involved individual buyers or households. Companies accounted for virtually all of the remaining transactions
The value of deeds involving households amounted to €282.3 million, representing 82.5% of the total value of all final deeds registered during the month.
Similarly, households accounted for the vast majority of promise of sale agreements. The NSO reported that 1,177 agreements, or 89.4% of the total registered in May, involved individual prospective buyers, while the remainder primarily involved companies.
The locality recording the highest number of residential property sales was St Paul’s Bay, with 98 final deeds of sale registered during the month. Birkirkara followed 68 deeds, while Marsascala recorded 51 transactions.
The same localities also topped the list for promise of sale agreements. St Paul’s Bay registered 88 agreements, followed by Birkirkara with 70 and Marsascala with 50.
The NSO data also provided insight into the types of properties changing hands. A total of 1,261 properties were transacted through the 1,157 final deeds registered during May, reflecting the fact that a single deed can include more than one property.
Apartments remained the most commonly transacted property type, accounting for 466 properties, or 37% of the total. Garages were the second most popular category, with 294 transactions representing 23.3% of all properties sold.
Looking at broader trends during the year, residential property sales have generally remained above the levels recorded during the first five months of 2025.
Between January and May 2026, a total of 5,532 final deeds of sale were registered, compared with 5,395 during the corresponding period last year.
Sales activity showed strong growth during the opening months of 2026, with 1,136 deeds recorded in January, 1,101 in February and 1,146 in March. April also registered a year-on-year increase, reaching 1,149 deeds compared with 1,050 in April 2025.
May was therefore the first month this year to register a decline when compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.
The NSO noted that the residential property transactions featured in the release are not limited to purchases made by households and may involve other economic agents. Furthermore, a single final deed of sale or promise of sale agreement can cover multiple properties.
The statistics are compiled using registrations with the Malta Tax and Customs Administration and are based on the date on which deeds and agreements are officially registered.
The NSO also said that the figures remain subject to revision should updates to the source data become available.
