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 having come under control of the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans,Byzantines, Moors, Normans, Sicilians, Spanish, Knights of St. John, and the French. Most recently a British colony (since 1814), Malta gained its independence in 1964 and declared itself a republic ten years later. While under British rule, the island staunchly supported the UK through both world wars. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination while its key industries moved toward more service-oriented activities. Malta became an EU member in May 2004 and began using the euro as currency in 2008.
Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)
35 50 N, 14 35 E
Europe
total: 316 sq km
land: 316 sq km
water: 0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 209
slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
0 km
196.8 km(excludes 56 km for the island of Gozo)
territorial sea: 12nm
contiguous zone: 24nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 25nm
Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers
mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Ta'Dmejrek on Dingli Cliffs 253 m
limestone, salt, arable land
agricultural land: 32.3% (2011 est.)
arable land: 28.4% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 3.9% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 0% (2011 est.)
forest: 0.9% (2011 est.)
other: 66.8% (2011 est.)
35 sq km (2012)
most of the population lives on the eastern half of Malta, the largest of the three inhabited islands
occasional droughts
limited natural freshwater resources; increasing reliance on desalination; deforestation; wildlife preservation
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are discussing oil exploration on the continental shelf between their countries, although no commercially viable reserves have been found as of 2017
449,043 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
noun: Maltese (singular and plural)
adjective: Maltese
Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)
Maltese (official) 90.1%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.9% (2005 est.)
Roman Catholic (official) more than 90% (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 14.29%(male 33,156 /female 31,012)
15-24 years: 11.03%(male 25,713 /female 23,815)
25-54 years: 40.92%(male 95,162 /female 88,602)
55-64 years: 13.25%(male 29,787 /female 29,703)
65 years and over: 20.51%(male 41,900 /female 50,193) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:
total dependency ratio: 48.8 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 21.4 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 27.3 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 3.7 (2015 est.)
total: 41.8 years (2018 est.)
male: 40.6 years
female: 43.1 years
country comparison to the world: 37
0.99% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
10 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
7.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
most of the population lives on the eastern half of Malta, the largest of the three inhabited islands
urban population: 94.7% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: 0.38% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)
213,000 VALLETTA (capital) (2018)
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2018 est.)
26.9 years (2010 est.)
note: data refer to the average of the different childbearing ages of first-order births
6 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
total: 4.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 4.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 178
total population: 82.7 years (2018 est.)
male: 80.6 years
female: 84.8 years
country comparison to the world: 11
1.48 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2015 est.)
9.3% (2016)
3.83 physicians/1,000 population (2015)
4.7 beds/1,000 population (2014)
improved: urban: 100% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 100% of population (2015 est.)
total: 100% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved: urban: 0% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 0% of population (2015 est.)
total: 0% of population (2015 est.)
0.1% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
<500 (2016 est.)
<100 (2016 est.)
28.9% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 28
5.3% of GDP (2015)
country comparison to the world: 50
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.4%
male: 93.1%
female: 95.8% (2015)
total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2016)
total: 11.3%
male: 12.2%
female: 10.2% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
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
parliamentary republic
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
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
21 September 1964 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 21 September (1964); Republic Day, 13 December (1974)
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 2016 (2017)
mixed legal system of English common law and civil law based on the Roman and Napoleonic civil codes; subject to European Union law
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
18 years of age (16 in local council elections); universal
chief of state: President George VELLA (since 4 April 2019)
head of government: Prime Minister Joseph MUSCAT (since 11 March 2013)
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 2 April 2019 (next to be held by April 2024); 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: George VELLA (PL) elected president; House of Representatives vote - unanimous; Joseph MUSCAT (PL) reappointed prime minister
description: unicameral House of Representatives or Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati, a component of the Parliament of Malta (normally 65 seats but can include at-large members; members directly elected in 5 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the parliament elected in 2013 had 69 seats; an additional two seats were added in 2016 by the Constitutional Court to correct for mistakes made in the 2013 vote-counting process
elections: last held on 3 June 2017 (next to be held in 2022); note - Prime Minister MUSCAT called for early elections amid corruption allegations
election results: percent of vote by party - PL 55%, PN 43.7%, other 1.3%; seats by party - PL 37 PN 30; note - PN was awarded two additional seats for a total of 30 in accordance with the proportionality provisions specified in the constitution; PD candidates ran under the PN list; composition - men 57, women 10, percent of women 14.9%
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)
Democratic Party (Partit Demokratiku) or PD [Godfrey FARRUGIA]
Labor Party (Partit Laburista) or PL [Joseph MUSCAT]
Nationalist Party (Partit Nazzjonalista) or PN [Adrian DELIA]
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, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Ambassador Keith AZZOPARDI (since 17 September 2018)
chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 462-3611 through 3612
FAX: [1] (202) 387-5470
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Mark A. SCHAPIRO (since 29 September 2018)
telephone: [356] 2561-4000
embassy: Ta' Qali National Park, Attard, ATD 4000
mailing address: 5800 Valletta Place, Dulles, VA 20189
FAX: [356] 2561-4183
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
Maltese eight-pointed cross; national colors: red, white
name: "L-Innu Malti" (The Maltese Anthem)
lyrics/music: Dun Karm PSAILA/Robert SAMMUT
note: adopted 1945; written in the form of a prayer
Malta’s free market economy – the smallest economy in the euro-zone – relies heavily on trade in both goods and services, principally with Europe. Malta produces less than a quarter of its food needs, has limited fresh water supplies, and has few domestic energy sources. Malta's economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing, and tourism. Malta joined the EU in 2004 and adopted the euro on 1 January 2008.Malta has weathered the euro-zone crisis better than most EU member states due to a low debt-to-GDP ratio and financially sound banking sector. It maintains one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, and growth has fully recovered since the 2009 recession. In 2014 through 2016, Malta led the euro zone in growth, expanding more than 4.5% per year.Malta’s services sector continues to grow, with sustained growth in the financial services and online gaming sectors. Advantageous tax schemes remained attractive to foreign investors, though EU discussions of anti-tax avoidance measures have raised concerns among Malta’s financial services and insurance providers, as the measures could have a significant impact on those sectors. The tourism sector also continued to grow, with 2016 showing record-breaking numbers of both air and cruise passenger arrivals.Malta’s GDP growth remains strong and is supported by a strong labor market. The government has implemented new programs, including free childcare, to encourage increased labor participation. The high cost of borrowing and small labor market remain potential constraints to future economic growth. Increasingly, other EU and European migrants are relocating to Malta for employment, though wages have remained low compared to other European countries. Inflation remains low.
$19.26 billion (2017 est.)
$18.05 billion (2016 est.)
$17.16 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 152
$12.58 billion (2017 est.)
6.7% (2017 est.)
5.2% (2016 est.)
9.5% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
$41,900 (2017 est.)
$40,100 (2016 est.)
$39,000 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 43
33.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
31.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
31.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
household consumption: 45.2% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 15.3% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 21.1% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.3% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 136.1% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -117.9% (2017 est.)
agriculture: 1.1% (2017 est.)
industry: 10.2% (2017 est.)
services: 88.7% (2017 est.)
potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs
tourism, electronics, ship building and repair, construction, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, footwear, clothing, tobacco, aviation services, financial services, information technology services
-3.3% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
206,300 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 20.7%
services: 77.7% (2016 est.)
4.6% (2017 est.)
5.3% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
16.3% (2015 est.)
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
28.1 (2015)
27.7 (2014)
country comparison to the world: 141
revenues: 5.076 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 4.583 billion (2017 est.)
40.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
3.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
50.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
56.3% of GDP (2016 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
country comparison to the world: 99
calendar year
1.3% (2017 est.)
0.9% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
-0.35% (31 December 2016 est.)
-0.2% (31 December 2015)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
country comparison to the world: 162
3.7% (31 December 2017 est.)
5.06% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
$17.93 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$14.28 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
note: see entry for the EU for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders
country comparison to the world: 71
$17.93 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$14.28 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
$13.97 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$11.99 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
$4.632 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$4.468 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$3.353 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
$1.712 billion (2017 est.)
$788 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
$3.272 billion (2017 est.)
$2.493 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
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)
machinery and mechanical appliances; mineral fuels, oils and petroleum products; pharmaceutical products; books and newspapers; aircraft/spacecraft and parts; toys, games, and sports equipment
$4.996 billion (2017 est.)
$4.965 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
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
Italy 23%, Germany 7.9%, UK 7.7%, Spain 5%, Canada 4.5%, US 4.3%, France 4.2% (2017)
$833 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$677.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
$90.98 billion (September 2016 est.)
$99.02 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
$166.1 million (1 June 2016 est.)
$155.5 million (1 June 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
$65.49 million (June 2015 est.)
$64.77 million (31 June 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
0.885 (2017 est.)
0.903 (2016 est.)
0.9214 (2015 est.)
0.885 (2014 est.)
0.7634 (2013 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2016)
813 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
2.122 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
1.525 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
575,100 kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
81% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
45,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
10,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
52,290 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
283.2 million cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
311.5 million cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
8.141 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
total subscriptions: 240,280
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 58 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
total subscriptions: 560,010
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 135 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
general assessment: automatic system featuring submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands; one of the most advanced telecoms in Europe, high penetration of mobile and broadband, and a way forward to expand e-commerce opportunities; '5G ready' and LTE network; regulatory system that encourages investors (2018)
domestic: fixed-line 58 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscribership 135 per 100 persons (2018)
international: country code - 356; landing points for the Malta-Gozo Cable, VMSCS, GO-1 Mediterranean Cable System, Malta Italy Interconnector, Melita-1, and the Italy-Malta submarine cable connections to Italy; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)
2 publicly owned TV stations, Television Malta broadcasting nationally plus an educational channel; several privately owned national television stations, 2 of which are owned by political parties; Italian and British broadcast programs are available; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; publicly owned radio broadcaster operates 3 stations; roughly 20 commercial radio stations (2019)
.mt
total: 320,902
percent of population: 77.3% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
total: 181,318
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 44 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
0.49% of GDP (2018)
0.51% of GDP (2017)
0.54% of GDP (2016)
0.5% of GDP (2015)
0.5% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 148
Armed Forces of Malta (AFM, includes land, maritime, and air elements, plus a Volunteer Reserve Force) (2019)
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019)
number of registered air carriers: 9 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 28 (2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,583,046 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 3.352 millionmt-km (2015)
9H (2016)
1 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 228
total: 1 (2017)
over 3,047 m: 1 (2017)
2 (2013)
total: 2,254 km (2001)
paved: 1,973 km (2001)
unpaved: 281 km (2001)
urban: 1,422 km (2001)
non-urban: 832 km (2001)
country comparison to the world: 165
total: 2,205
by type: bulk carrier 645, container ship 283, general cargo 288, oil tanker 391, other 598 (2018)
country comparison to the world: 11
major seaport(s): Marsaxlokk (Malta Freeport), Valletta
container port(s) (TEUs): Marsaxlokk (3,150,000) (2017)
none
stateless persons: 11 (2018)
note: 5,000 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals by sea (January 2015-December 2019)
minor transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western Europe