Matrix insertion-deletion systems combine the idea of matrix control (as established in regulated rewriting) with that of insertion and deletion (as opposed to replacements). We study families of multisets that can be described as Parikh images of languages generated by this type of systems, focusing on aspects of descriptional complexity. We show that the Parikh images of matrix insertion-deletion systems having length 2 matrices and context-free insertion/deletion contain only semilinear languages and when the matrices length increased to 3, they contain non-semilinear languages. We also characterize the hierarchy of family of languages that is formed with these systems having small sizes. We also introduce a new class, namely, monotone strict context-free matrix ins-del systems and analyze the results connecting with families of context-sensitive languages and Parikh images of regular and context-free matrix languages. © Springer International Publishing AG 2017.