Browse a full set of economic indicators

Malta

Includes Malta real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Malta economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Malta best banks and safest banks are also available.

Basic Information

Government Type: Parliamentary republic

Capital City: Valletta

GDP & Economic Information

Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data

Central Bank Central Bank of Malta

Currency Euros (EUR)

International Reserves
USD 1.0 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
Gross Domestic Product – GDP USD 14.5 billion (2018, estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) Intl$ 21.3 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP Data

Real GDP growth 2007 4%
2008 3.3%
2009 -2.4%
2010 3.5%
2011 1.4%
2012 2.7%
2013 4.6%
2014 8.6%
2015 10.6%
2016 5.7%
2017 6.7% (Estimate)
2018 6.4% (Estimate)
GDP per capita – current prices USD 31,058.4 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita – PPP Intl$ 45,605.9 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) – share of world total 1980 N/A
1990 N/A
2000 0.02%
2010 0.01%
2019 0.02% (Estimate)
GDP – composition by sector agriculture: 0.9%
industry: 12%
services: 75%
(2018 estimate)
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) N/A
Inflation 2015 1.2%
2016 0.9%
2017 1.3%
2017 1.7% (Estimate)
2018 1.7% (Estimate)

Inflation & Debt

Inflation 2015 1.2%
2016 0.9%
2017 1.3%
2017 1.7% (Estimate)
2018 1.7% (Estimate)
Government Bond Ratings Standard & Poor’s: A-

Moody’s: A2

Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s
Unemployment rate 2015 5.4%
2016 4.7%
2017 4%
2018 3.7% (Estimate)
2019 3.8% (Estimate)
Household saving rates N/A
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) 2015 57.8%
2016 55.5%
2017 50.3%
2018 45.2% (Estimate)
2019 42.3% (Estimate)
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) 2015 -1.1%
2016 0.9%
2017 3.4%
2018 2% (Estimate)
2019 0.5% (Estimate)
Market value of publicly traded shares 2016 USD 4.4 billion
2017 USD 5.2 billion
2018 USD 5.1 billion
Largest Companies N/A

Import/Export

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) 144.6% (2018)

Shares in world total merchandising export 0.02% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export 0.26% (2018)

Total exports USD 18.6 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities Machinery and mechanical appliances; mineral fuels, oils and petroleum products; pharmaceutical products; books and newspapers; aircraft/spacecraft and parts; toys, games, and sports equipment

Total imports USD 15.9 billion (2018 estimate)

Import commodities Mineral fuels, oils and products; electrical machinery; aircraft/spacecraft and parts thereof; machinery and mechanical appliances; plastic and other semi-manufactured goods; vehicles and parts

Exports – major partners Germany 17.3%, France 10.2%, Italy 9.4%, Singapore 5.9%, Hong Kong 5.8%, US 5.7%, Japan 4.9%, Libya 4.5% (2017)

Imports – major partners Italy 23%, Germany 7.9%, UK 7.7%, Spain 5%, Canada 4.5%, US 4.3%, France 4.2% (2017)

Competitiveness & Trade

Current account balance USD 1.4 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP 9.8 % (2018 estimate)

FDI inflows 2016 USD 4,246 million
2017 USD 3,566 million
2018 USD 4,061 million
FDI Outflows 2016 USD -5,294 million
2017 USD -7,052 million
2018 USD -7,326 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser 2015 USD 2,699.8 million
2016 USD -1,139.4 million
2017 USD 115.4 million
2018 USD 0.8 million
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 N/A
Best countries for doing business Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking:

88 out of 190 countries

​Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 86 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 57 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 73 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 152 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 144 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 51 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 78 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 48 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 41 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 121 out of 190 countries
Global competitiveness ranking
38 out of 141 countries

(2019)
Index of Economic Freedom Ranking: 41 / Score: 68.6 (Moderately free)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

Population & Geographic Data

Time Zone UTC+1

Total Area 316 sq km

Total Population 1990 0.35 million
2000 0.39 million
2010 0.41 million
2015 0.44 million
2020 0.49 million (Estimate)
Urban population as % of total population 1960 90.1%
1980 89.8%
2000 92.4%
2018 94.6%
Population median age 41.8 years

Population growth rate 0.99% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy 82.7 years (2018 estimate)



CIA World Factbook / Life expectancy
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day 0.2% (last available estimate, 2015)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) 29.4 (last available estimate, 2015)

Freedom House rating
Free
Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 1 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Total telephone subscribers as % of population
Fixed: 58.2% Mobile: 140.2% (2018)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)
Internet users as % of total population 81.4 % (2018)

Language & Religon

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

Literacy Total population: 94.4%
Male: 93.1%
Female: 95.8%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

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

World Rankings

Population 0.49 M
Mercer Cost of living index N/A
C02 Emissions per capita 5.4 metric tons per capita (2014)

Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Malta

Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.


Data Sources:

IMF World Economic Outlook

UN World Population Prospects

World Inequality Report

S&P Global Ratings

Moody’s

Fitch Ratings

IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

CIA The World Factbook

World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution

Forbes Global 2000

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