Capital

Malta

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

Citizenship

Malta

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

Legal system

Malta

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

Suffrage

Malta

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

Area

Malta

total: 316 sq km

land: 316 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Land use

Malta

agricultural land: 32.3% (2018 est.)

arable land: 28.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 3.9% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.9% (2018 est.)

other: 66.8% (2018 est.)

Location

Malta

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

Age structure

Malta

0-14 years: 14.53% (male 34,870/female 32,989)

15-64 years: 62.83% (male 151,927/female 141,561)

65 years and over: 22.65% (2023 est.) (male 48,830/female 56,961)

Birth rate

Malta

9.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Malta

8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Malta

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

Life expectancy at birth

Malta

total population: 83.4 years (2023 est.)

male: 81.3 years

female: 85.6 years

Major urban areas - population

Malta

213,000 VALLETTA (capital) (2018)

Median age

Malta

total: 43.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 42.1 years

female: 44.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Malta

29.3 years (2020 est.)

note: data refers to the average of the different childbearing ages of first-order births

Net migration rate

Malta

5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Malta

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

Population growth rate

Malta

0.59% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Malta

1.51 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Malta

urban population: 94.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Malta

5.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Malta

total: 17 years

male: 17 years

female: 18 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Malta

3.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Malta

-3.3% (2016 est.)

Labor force

Malta

280,300 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Malta

17.1% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Malta

3.5% (2021 est.)

4.26% (2020 est.)

3.62% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Malta

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Malta

1.5% (2021 est.)

0.64% (2020 est.)

1.64% (2019 est.)

Exports

Malta

$22.11 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$19.526 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.773 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Malta

Germany 12%, France 9%, Italy 9% (2019)

Imports

Malta

$21.362 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$18.328 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$18.578 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Malta

Russia 22%, Italy 12%, United Kingdom 11%, Germany 6%, Turkey 5%, France 5%, China 5%, South Korea 5% (2019)

Airports

Malta

1 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Malta

total: 213,419 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 48 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Malta

total: 461,100 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 87% (2021 est.)

Roadways

Malta

total: 3,096 km (2008)

paved: 2,704 km (2008)

unpaved: 392 km (2008)

urban: 1,422 km (2001)

non-urban: 832 km (2001)

Telephones - fixed lines

Malta

total subscriptions: 259,439 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Malta

total subscriptions: 644,955 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 122 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Malta

none identified