National Identity
- Official name
- Republic of Malta
- Official name (in Maltese)
- Repubblika ta’ Malta
- Name etymology
the origin is unclear; the name may come from the ancient term mel, meaning "high" and probably referring to the island's rocks; the ancient Greeks called the island "Melite," possibly from the Greek word meli, meaning "honey" and referring to the island's honey production
Sources:- Constitution of Malta ↗ - Legislation Malta - Official website for Maltese legislation
- The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- National emblem
- National flag
As published by the Government of Malta The Constitution provides that the National Flag of Malta consists of two equal vertical stripes, white in the hoist and red in the fly, with a representation of the George Cross, edged with red, in the canton of the white stripe; the breadth of the flag is one and a half times its height.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Office of the State Advocate of Malta (2) A representation of the George Cross awarded to Malta by His Majesty King George the Sixth on the 15th April, 1942 is carried, edged with red, in the canton of the white stripe.
As published in EnglishSources:- gov.mt ↗ - the Government of Malta
- legislation.mt ↗ - the Office of the State Advocate of Malta
- National anthem
- L-Innu Malti1:21
- Title (in Maltese)
- L-Innu Malti
- Title (in English, translated)
- The Hymn of Malta
- Lyrics
1Lil din l-art ħelwa, l-Omm li tatna isimha, Ħares, Mulej, kif dejjem Int ħarist: Ftakar li lilha bl-oħla dawl libbist.
2Agħti, kbir Alla, id-dehen lil min jaħkimha, Rodd il-ħniena lis-sid, saħħa ‘l-ħaddiem: Seddaq il-għaqda fil-Maltin u s-sliem.
Source: - Citizens
- Maltese
- Official name:Constitution of Malta ↗ - Legislation Malta - Official website for Maltese legislation
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- National flag:gov.mt ↗ - the Government of Malta
- National flag:legislation.mt ↗ - the Office of the State Advocate of Malta
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)
- Total area
- 316 km²
- Land area
- 316 km²
- Water area
- 0.00 km²
- Land borders
- None
- Coastline
- 196.8 km
Excludes 56 km of coastline on the island of Gozo. Source:- The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- Terrain
Mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs - Highest point
- 253 mTa'Dmejrek on Dingli Cliffs
- Lowest point
- 0 mMediterranean Sea
- Climate
Mediterranean mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers - Avg. temperature
- 19.4 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 18.6 to 20.1 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 431 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 14.9 14.2 13.5 62 February 14.4 13.7 12.9 55 March 15.1 14.4 13.7 35 April 16.5 15.9 15.2 16 May 19.4 18.7 18 7 June 23.1 22.3 21.6 3 July 25.8 25.1 24.3 0 August 26.9 26.2 25.5 4 September 25.2 24.6 23.9 35 October 22.9 22.2 21.4 59 November 19.8 19 18.1 76 December 16.6 15.8 15 79 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable22.8%Perm. crops3.2%Forest1.5%Other66.4%
- Arable land
- 7,300 hectares (22.8%)
- Permanent crops
- 1,039 hectares (3.2%)
- Forest
- 466 hectares (1.5%)
- Other land
- 21,243 hectares (66.4%)
Reported categories cover 93.9% of the land area.
Source: - Natural hazards2026
- Tsunamis5.9High#38/191Epidemics3.5Low#141/191Coastal floods0.7Very low#137/191Earthquakes0.1Very low#127/191River floods0.0Very lowTropical cyclones0.0Very lowDrought0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +0.66% per year+3,606 people/yearWorld Rank123rdof 237
- Birth rate
- 7.7 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 7.9 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- +3.9 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 41.5 yearsWorld Rank52ndof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years12.8%15-64 years66.3%65 years +20.9%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 20.9%
- Share aged under 18
- 15.4%
- Total dependency ratio
- 51
- Youth dependency ratio
- 19
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 32
- Sex ratio
- 1.08 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 2.2% 3.3% 70-79 4.7% 5.1% 60-69 5.6% 5.5% 50-59 6.3% 5.6% 40-49 8.7% 7.2% 30-39 9.8% 8.0% 20-29 5.8% 5.0% 10-19 4.6% 4.2% 0-9 4.3% 4.0% - 2026
- 0.98 below the replacement level for Malta ()1.12 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank223rdof 237
- 0.54 daughters per woman0.46 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- −0.2 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 0.2 more deaths than births a year
- 2026
- +3.9 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 95.7% live in cities525,432 urban residents
- Largest localities2024
- St. Paul's Bay, Birkirkara, Mosta, SliemaRankLocalityPopulation (2024 estimate)1St. Paul's Bay40,2042Birkirkara29,4823Mosta25,4964Sliema22,7305Qormi20,0416Marsaskala18,7147Naxxar18,1268Żabbar17,9629Msida16,60910San Ġwann16,075Source:
- National Statistics Office, Malta (2024 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- Most of the population lives on the eastern half of Malta, the largest of the three inhabited islands.
- Ethnic groups
- Maltese, descended from ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with strong Italian and other Mediterranean elements.
- Religions2006
- Roman Catholicmore than 90%
Roman Catholicism is the official religion.
Source:- The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- Languages
- Maltese (Malti), English
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:National Statistics Office, Malta (2024 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- RepublicThe President of Malta is appointed by a resolution of the House of Representatives supported by at least two thirds of all its members, and the incumbent stays in office until such a resolution passes (Art. 48).
- System of government
- ParliamentaryThe President appoints as Prime Minister the member best able to command a House majority; the Cabinet is collectively responsible to Parliament, and the President dissolves Parliament, normally on the Prime Minister's advice (Arts. 76, 79, 80).Source:
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Official websites
- Capital
- Valletta5,197 people(2023)
- National holidays
- 14 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- TueFeb 10Feast of Saint Paul's Shipwreck
- ThuMar 19Feast of Saint Joseph
- TueMar 31Freedom Day
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- FriMay 1Worker's Day
- SunJun 7Sette Giugno
- MonJun 29Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
- SatAug 15Feast of the Assumption
- TueSep 8Feast of Our Lady of Victories
- MonSep 21Independence Day
- TueDec 8Feast of the Immaculate Conception
- SunDec 13Republic Day
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +356
- Internet TLD
- .mt
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- MT, MLT
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 2,387,400 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Heliports
- 2
- Aircraft departures
- 16,075 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Air freight
- 3.4 million tonne-km(2023)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- 9H
Sources:- The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- KM Malta AirlinesState-owned
- 2025
- 49 / 100World Rank60thof 182
Significant declinerDown 11 points since 2015, when it scored 60.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 57 53 61 2013 56 52 60 2014 55 51 59 2015 60 58 62 2016 55 53 58 2017 56 54 58 2018 54 52 56 2019 54 51.5 56.5 2020 53 50.7 55.3 2021 54 51.2 56.8 2022 51 46.9 55.1 2023 51 47 55 2024 46 40.4 51.6 2025 49 43.7 54.3 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Constitution of Malta (The Malta Independence Order, 1964, as amended), official consolidated text ↗ - Legislation Malta, Ministry for Justice
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- High income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +4.2% per yearWorld Rank56thof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $52,149 (26th in the world)
Source:- 2025
- Services81.3% of GDPIndustry10.1% of GDPAgriculture0.5% of GDPManufacturing5.3%part of industry
- Households
- +44.6%
- Government
- +17.5%
- Investment
- +18.7%
- Exports
- +119.1%
- Imports
- −99.9%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 2.4%
- Labor force2024
- 301,117 (56% of population)World Rank167thof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 64.2% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 3.1%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 9.1% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $69.6 per hour worked at PPP
- Labor cost2025
- €19.00 per hour$21.47 (USD), $31.13 (PPP)
- Budget balance2026
- 2.7% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 6.5% of GDP, $2 billion surplus
Source: - Debt2024
- Government debt47.4% of GDPHousehold debt48.7% of GDPCompany debt158.1% of GDPCentral government debt46.6% of GDPSource:
- Trade2024
- Goods$4.6 billion15.5%
- Services$25 billion84.5%
- Total exports
- $29.6 billion
- Change from 2023
- up 6.6 percent on the previous year6.6%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- Agricultural products2024
- Cauliflowers and broccoli, Raw milk of sheep, Squash and gourds (including pumpkins), and 7 more
- 1Cauliflowers and broccoli23.2×
- 2Raw milk of sheep22.8×
- 3Squash and gourds (including pumpkins)12.8×
- 4Strawberries12.2×
- 5Lettuce and chicory8.3×
- 6Cantaloupes and other melons6.9×
- 7Onions and shallots (dry)6.1×
- 8Cabbages6×
- 9Raw milk of cattle5.1×
- 10Tomatoes4.9×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Gold reserves2025
- 0.37 tonnesWorth $52.4 million, 3% of total official reserves by value
- Industries
- tourism, electronics, ship building and repair, construction, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, footwear, clothing, tobacco, aviation services, financial services, information technology services
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade, Gold reserves:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity, Labor cost:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
- Average gross salary2021
- €3,337 per month$3,947 (USD), $5,257 (PPP)
- Median
- €2,386 per month($2,822)
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- 2025
- €961 per month, gross$1,086 (USD), $1,574 (PPP)
- Average gross salary, Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.924Very highWorld Rank24thof 193MaltaWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Malta World 1990 0.735 0.608 1991 0.742 0.611 1992 0.748 0.614 1993 0.754 0.617 1994 0.758 0.620 1995 0.763 0.625 1996 0.763 0.631 1997 0.772 0.636 1998 0.781 0.641 1999 0.784 0.646 2000 0.790 0.651 2001 0.801 0.657 2002 0.806 0.662 2003 0.818 0.669 2004 0.832 0.675 2005 0.840 0.681 2006 0.838 0.688 2007 0.845 0.694 2008 0.848 0.698 2009 0.854 0.701 2010 0.867 0.707 2011 0.862 0.713 2012 0.870 0.717 2013 0.880 0.721 2014 0.886 0.726 2015 0.892 0.731 2016 0.891 0.735 2017 0.901 0.739 2018 0.908 0.741 2019 0.910 0.745 2020 0.903 0.742 2021 0.914 0.742 2022 0.917 0.752 2023 0.924 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2023
- 31.8
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 12.4 years
- Expected for a child today
- 15.9 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2011latest available
- 93.3% of adults
- Education expenditure2022
- 4.7% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 12.5%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 93.9% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 94.6%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 766,620
- Fixed telephone lines
- 255,500
- Fixed broadband
- 44.5 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2021
- 42% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 89%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 96%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 91%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 8,556 people
- Asylum seekers
- 1,425
- Stateless persons
- 171
- Refugees from Malta abroad
- 7
Source:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- 2024
- Official tourism site3.6 million arrivalsup 29% against 201929% above 2019World Rank53rdof 139
- Per resident
- 6.6 arrivals per resident
- All visitors
- 3.7 million arrivals, overnight and same-day
- $6.6 billion
- Spending per arrival
- $1,847
- 442,322 overnight trips by residents
- 844,000 overnight trips
- $1.6 billion
- 52,796
- 4.7 nights
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2024A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 3 sites3 cultural
Site City of Valletta Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum Megalithic Temples of Malta Source:- The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites:The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- None - no active crisis
- Homicide rate2024
- 0.9 per 100,000 peopleVery low by global standards
- Crime rates
- 7 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 0.9 5 2024 Serious assault 41.1 219 2023 Sexual violence 29.5 157 2023 Kidnapping 0.0 0 2023 Burglary 169.6 896 2022 Theft 678.5 3,584 2022 Vehicle theft 58.7 310 2022 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2023
- 126.1 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 672
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 83.8 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 8.8% of GDP$3,623 per person
- Physicians2022
- 4.51 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2022
- 4.1 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 4.4 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 8 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 6.2 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2020
- 25.7% of adults
- Men
- 28.1%
- Women
- 23.3%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 4.1 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 1.81 Mt per yearup 1.2 percent on the previous year1.2% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 4.1 t per personWorld Rank73rdof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- < 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 0.24 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0.04 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 0.16 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 2.24 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 8.1 µg/m³ of PM2.50.3 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted153rdof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
- National standard
- 10 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- limited natural freshwater resources
- deforestation
- wildlife preservation
- International agreements
- 19 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 96 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2016 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1994 Kyoto Protocol in force 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1989 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1988 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 2001 CITES in force 1989 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 2001 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2007 Nagoya Protocol not a party Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 1989 World Heritage Convention in force 1979 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1998 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 2000 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2017 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2017 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force 2017 Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 1994 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) in force 2026 MARPOL 73/78 in force 1991 Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 0% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 0.1 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 96 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 0% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 0.1 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 35%
- Water stress
- 73% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 4.6% of the population
- Obesity2024
- 30.6% of adults
- Men
- 33.1%
- Women
- 27.6%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2022
- 0.7% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment:Food security indicators (FAOSTAT) ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 242.4 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 0.02%
- Supply
- No meaningful productionproduces under 2% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Net importer, net 1 TWh in 2024, 33% of consumption2.1 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 2.1 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 2.9 TWh per year
- Imports
- 1 TWh per year
- Exports
- 0 TWh per year
- Net
- −1 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- Production endedlast produced in 2009Consumption202446,802 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 0.5% of GDP$109.3 million, 1.3% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- approximately 2,000active Armed Forces of Malta
- Military service2026
- Voluntaryno conscription; men and women 18–30
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service:The World Factbook: Malta - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
