Map of Malta | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: With a civilization that dates back thousands of years, Malta boasts some of the oldest megalithic sites in the world. Situated in the center of the Mediterranean, Malta’s islands have long served as a strategic military asset, with the islands at various times falling under the control of the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Moors, Normans, Sicilians, Spanish, Knights of St. John, and French. Most recently a British colony (since 1814), Malta gained its independence in 1964 and declared itself a republic 10 years later. While under British rule, the island staunchly supported the UK through both world wars. Since the mid-1980s, the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination, as its key industries moved toward more service-oriented activities. Malta became an EU member in 2004 and joined the eurozone in 2008.


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Location: Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)

Geographic coordinates: 35 50 N, 14 35 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 316 km²
Land: 316 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Country comparison total: 0 km

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 196.8 km (excludes 56 km for the island of Gozo)

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm

Climate: Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers

Terrain: mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs

Elevation
Highest point: Ta'Dmejrek on Dingli Cliffs 253 m
Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Natural resources: limestone, salt, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 32.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 28.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 3.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 0.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 66.8% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 35 km² (2020)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 40 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 1 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 50 million m³ (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: occasional droughts

Geography
Note: the country is an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors


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Population
Distribution: most of the population lives on the eastern half of Malta, the largest of the three inhabited islands
Total: 469,730
Male: 237,023
Female: 232,707 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 0.51% (2024 est.)
Below poverty line: 16.7% (2021 est.)
Below poverty line note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Nationality
Noun: Maltese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Maltese

Ethnic groups: Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)

Languages: Maltese (official) 90.1%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.9% (2005 est.)

Religions: Roman Catholic (official) more than 90% (2006 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.5% (male 35,034/female 33,181)
15-64 years: 62.4% (male 151,836/female 141,248)
65 years and over: 23.1% (2024 est.) (male 50,153/female 58,278)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 47.1
Youth dependency ratio: 19.3
Elderly dependency ratio: 27.7
Potential support ratio: 3.6 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 43.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 42.4 years
Female: 44.7 years

Population growth rate: 0.51% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 9.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 8.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: most of the population lives on the eastern half of Malta, the largest of the three inhabited islands

Urbanization
Urban population: 94.9% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 213,000 VALLETTA (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: limited natural freshwater resources; increasing reliance on desalination; deforestation; wildlife preservation
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 12.93 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.34 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.2 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 29.3 years (2020 est.)
Note: data refers to the average of the different childbearing ages of first-order births

Maternal mortality ratio: 3 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 83.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 81.5 years
Female: 85.8 years

Total fertility rate: 1.51 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Unimproved urban: 0% of population

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density: 4.5 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 100% of population
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 28.9% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 8.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 2.8 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 2.34 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 2.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.42 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 24% (2020 est.)
Male: 26.4% (2020 est.)
Female: 21.6% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 5.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 94.9%
Male: 93.4%
Female: 96.4% (2021)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 17 years
Male: 17 years
Female: 18 years (2020)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 9.3% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 13.8% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 4.3% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Malta
Conventional short form: Malta
Local long form: Repubblika ta' Malta
Local short form: Malta
Etymology: the ancient Greeks called the island 'Melite' meaning 'honey-sweet' from the Greek word 'meli' meaning 'honey' and referring to the island's honey production

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Valletta
Geographic coordinates: 35 53 N, 14 30 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Etymology: named in honor of Jean de VALETTE, the Grand Master of the Order of Saint John (crusader knights), who successfully led a defense of the island from an Ottoman invasion in 1565

Administrative divisions: 68 localities (Il-lokalita); Attard, Balzan, Birgu, Birkirkara, Birzebbuga, Bormla, Dingli, Fgura, Floriana, Fontana, Ghajnsielem, Gharb, Gharghur, Ghasri, Ghaxaq, Gudja, Gzira, Hamrun, Iklin, Imdina, Imgarr, Imqabba, Imsida, Imtarfa, Isla, Kalkara, Kercem, Kirkop, Lija, Luqa, Marsa, Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk, Mellieha, Mosta, Munxar, Nadur, Naxxar, Paola, Pembroke, Pieta, Qala, Qormi, Qrendi, Rabat, Rabat (Ghawdex), Safi, San Giljan/Saint Julian, San Gwann/Saint John, San Lawrenz/Saint Lawrence, Sannat, San Pawl il-Bahar/Saint Paul's Bay, Santa Lucija/Saint Lucia, Santa Venera/Saint Venera, Siggiewi, Sliema, Swieqi, Tarxien, Ta' Xbiex, Valletta, Xaghra, Xewkija, Xghajra, Zabbar, Zebbug, Zebbug (Ghawdex), Zejtun, Zurrieq

Dependent areas

Independence: 21 September 1964 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September (1964); Republic Day, 13 December (1974)

Constitution
History: many previous; latest adopted 21 September 1964
Amendments: proposals (Acts of Parliament) require at least two-thirds majority vote by the House of Representatives; passage of Acts requires majority vote by referendum, followed by final majority vote by the House and assent of the president of the republic; amended many times, last in 2020

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and civil law based on the Roman and Napoleonic civil codes; subject to European Union law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Malta
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age (16 in local council elections); universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Myriam Spiteri DEBONO (since 4 April 2024)
Head of government: Prime Minister Robert ABELA (since 13 January 2020)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the House of Representatives for a single 5-year term; election last held on 27 March 2024 (next to be held by March 2,029); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president for a 5-year term; deputy prime minister appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Election results: 2024: Myriam Spiteri DEBONO (PL) elected president; House of Representatives vote - unanimous; 2019: George VELLA (PL) elected president; House of Representatives vote - unanimous

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral House of Representatives or Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati, a component of the Parliament of Malta (65 seats statutory, 79 for 2022-2,027 term; members directly elected in 5 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 26 March 2022 (next to be held in 2,027)
Elections results: percent of vote by party - PL 55.1%, PN 41.7%, other 3.2%; seats by party - PL 38, PN 29; composition as of February 2024 - men 57, women 22, percentage women 27.9%
Note: due to underepresentation by women in the combined general on 26 March and two casual elections on 7 and 12 April (10 seats or 14.9%), an additional 12 seats were awarded because their percentage did not meet the 40% threshold required by the Malta Constitution or the General Elections Amendment Act 2021

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 3 judges); Court of Criminal Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president, usually upon the advice of the prime minister; judges of both courts serve until age 65
Subordinate courts: Civil Court (divided into the General Jurisdiction Section, Family Section, and Voluntary Section); Criminal Court; Court of Magistrates; Gozo Courts (for the islands of Gozo and Comino)

Political parties and leaders: AD+PD or ADPD (formed from the merger of Democratic Alternative or AD and Democratic Party (Partit Demokratiku) or PD), Labor Party (Partit Laburista) or PL , Nationalist Party (Partit Nazzjonalista) or PN

International organization participation: Australia Group, C, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO (partner), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: chief of mission: Ambassador Godfrey C. XUEREB (since 19 April 2023)
In the us chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (771) 213-4,050
In the us fax: [1] (202) 530-9,753​
In the us email address and website: maltaembassy.washington@gov.mt, The Embassy (gov.mt)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Constance J. MILSTEIN (since October 27, 2022)
From the us embassy: Ta' Qali National Park, Attard, ATD 4,000
From the us mailing address: 5,800 Valletta Place, Washington DC 20,521-5,800
From the us telephone: [356] 2,561-4,000
From the us email address and website: ACSMalta@state.gov; [link]

Flag description: two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross, edged in red; according to legend, the colors are taken from the red and white checkered banner of Count Roger of Sicily who removed a bi-colored corner and granted it to Malta in 1091; an uncontested explanation is that the colors are those of the Knights of Saint John who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798; in 1942, King George VI of the UK awarded the George Cross to the islanders for their exceptional bravery and gallantry in World War II; since independence in 1964, the George Cross bordered in red has appeared directly on the white field

National symbols: Maltese eight-pointed cross; national colors: red, white

National anthem
Name: 'L-Innu Malti' (The Maltese Anthem)
Lyrics/music: Dun Karm PSAILA/Robert SAMMUT
Note: adopted 1945; written in the form of a prayer

National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 3 (all cultural)
Selected world heritage site locales:


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Economy overview: high-income, EU-member European economy; diversified portfolio; euro user; dependent on food and energy imports; strong tourism, trade, and manufacturing sectors; high North African immigration; large welfare system; educated workforce

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $31.661 billion (2023 est.); $29.978 billion (2022 est.); $27.738 billion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 5.61% (2023 est.); 8.08% (2022 est.); 12.51% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: $57,200 (2023 est.); $56,400 (2022 est.); $53,500 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 43.4% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 17.7% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 18.5% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 166.7% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -147.3% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.7% (2023 est.)
Industry: 12.1% (2023 est.)
Services: 79.7% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products: milk, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, cauliflower/broccoli, pork, chicken, cabbages, pumpkins/squash, grapes (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries: tourism, electronics, ship building and repair, construction, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, footwear, clothing, tobacco, aviation services, financial services, information technology services

Industrial production growth rate: 4.3% (2014 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 313,000 (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 3.13% (2023 est.); 2.93% (2022 est.); 3.4% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 9.3% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 13.8% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 4.3% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line: 16.7% (2021 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $6.106 billion (2022 est.)
Expenditures: $6.922 billion (2022 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 23.37% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Public debt: 50.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
Note: Malta reports public debt at nominal value outstanding at the end of the year, according to guidelines set out in the Maastricht Treaty for general government gross debt; the data include the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); general government comprises the central, state, and local governments, and social security funds

Revenue
From forest resources: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.09% (2023 est.); 6.15% (2022 est.); 1.5% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: -$1.02 billion (2022 est.); $214.463 million (2021 est.); $348.601 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports: $25.417 billion (2022 est.); $25.533 billion (2021 est.); $22.735 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: Germany 12%, Italy 6%, France 6%, Japan 5%, Singapore 5% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: integrated circuits, packaged medicine, refined petroleum, fish, postage stamps/documents (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $23.883 billion (2022 est.); $22.958 billion (2021 est.); $20.164 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: Italy 14%, China 11%, South Korea 11%, Germany 10%, Canada 5% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: ships, refined petroleum, aircraft, integrated circuits, packaged medicine (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.223 billion (2023 est.); $1.199 billion (2022 est.); $1.149 billion (2021 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 805,000 kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 2.786 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Exports: 7 million kWh (2022 est.)
Imports: 646 million kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 95.168 million kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 86.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources solar: 12.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal
Consumption: 8.4 metric tons (2021 est.)
Exports: (2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton
Imports: 3.9 metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 46,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Consumption: 399.719 million m³ (2022 est.)
Imports: 399.719 million m³ (2022 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 8.352 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 7.586 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 766,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 226.072 million Btu/person (2022 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 259,000 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 702,000 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 132 (2022 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 0.8% of GDP (2023 est.); 0.7% of GDP (2022); 0.5% of GDP (2021); 0.6% of GDP (2020); 0.5% of GDP (2019)

Military and security forces: the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) is a joint force with land, maritime, and air elements, plus a Volunteer Reserve Force (2024)
Note: the Malta Police Force maintains internal security; both the Police and the AFM report to the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Security, and Law Enforcement

Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2024)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 13 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 180
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,576,898 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5.14 million (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9H

Airports: 1 (2024)

Heliports: 2 (2024)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 2,855 km (2021)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 5,890 (Ukraine) (as of 16 July 2023)
Stateless persons: 11 (2022)
Note: 8,556 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals by sea (January 2015-November 2022)

Illicit drugs: minor transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western Europe