How many Gibraltarians are there?

Short answer

The 2022 Census counted 29,072 Gibraltarians living in Gibraltar, 76.6% of the 37,936 usual residents. That was the highest number ever recorded, up 14.3% on 2012.

Detailed answer

The figure comes from the Census of Gibraltar taken on Monday 14 November 2022, the most recent full count of the population.

• 1970: 18,873 Gibraltarians
• 2001: 22,882 (83.2% of residents, the highest share recorded)
• 2012: 25,444 (79.0%)
• 2022: 29,072 (76.6%)

The number of Gibraltarians rose by 3,628 over the decade to 2022 while their share of the population fell, because the number of other residents grew faster.

The Census counts someone as Gibraltarian if they are entitled to Gibraltarian status under the Gibraltarian Status Act, whether or not they have actually registered. This approach has been used since the 2001 Census, after the law was widened in 1999.

The Statistics Office gives three reasons for the rise: more Gibraltarian births, more residents gaining entitlement through naturalisation, and a 2014 change to the Act that cut the residence requirement for British citizens applying for Gibraltarian status from 25 years to 10 years. Once a person registers, their spouse or civil partner and their children also become eligible to register.

The Census describes the position in November 2022. Later changes to the Gibraltarian status rules are not reflected in these figures.