This article needs additional citations for verification .(December 2007) |
Currency | Euro (EUR, €) [note 1] |
---|---|
Calendar year | |
Trade organisations | EU, WTO and the OSCE |
Country group | |
Statistics | |
Population | 514,564 (1 January 2020) [3] |
GDP | |
GDP rank | |
GDP growth | |
GDP per capita | |
GDP per capita rank | |
GDP by sector |
|
Population below poverty line |
|
28.0 low (2019, Eurostat) [8] | |
| |
55 out of 100 points (2023) [10] (51st) | |
Labour force | |
Labour force by occupation |
|
Unemployment | |
Average gross salary | €1,829 monthly (Q3 2023) [16] |
€1,416 monthly (Q3 2023) [16] | |
Main industries | Tourism, electronics, ship building and repair, construction, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, footwear, clothing, tobacco, aviation services, financial services, information technology services |
External | |
Exports | $4.87 billion (2022 est.) |
Export goods | Machinery and mechanical appliances, mineral fuels, oils and products, pharmaceutical products, printed books and newspapers, aircraft and parts, toys, games and sports equipment |
Main export partners | |
Imports | $15.7 billion (2022 est.) |
Import goods | Mineral fuels, oils and products, electrical machinery, aircraft and parts, machinery and mechanical appliances, plastic and other semi-manufactured goods, vehicles and parts |
Main import partners | |
FDI stock | $2.03 billion (2017) [19] |
Gross external debt | $5.241 billion (2013 est.) [20] |
Public finances | |
Revenues | 6,481 billion 33.4% of GDP (2023) [21] |
Expenses | 7,431 billion 38.3% of GDP (2023) [21] |
Economic aid |
|
$928 million (October 2020) | |
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars. |
The economy of Malta is a highly industrialised service-based economy. It is classified as an advanced economy by the International Monetary Fund [28] and is considered a high-income country by the World Bank [29] and an innovation-driven economy by the World Economic Forum. [30] It is a member of the European Union and of the eurozone, having formally adopted the euro on 1 January 2008. [31]
The strengths of Malta's economy are its advantageous location, being situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea at a crossroads between Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, its fully developed open market economy, multilingual population (88% of Maltese people speak English), [32] productive labour force, low corporate tax [33] and well developed finance and ICT clusters. The economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing (especially electronics), tourism and other services in the tertiary sector of the economy. In 2014, over 1.7 million tourists visited the island. [34]
Malta's GDP per capita in 2024, adjusted by purchasing power parity, stood at $67,682 [4] and ranked 15th in the list of EU countries in terms of purchasing power standard. [35] In the 2013 calendar year, Malta recorded a budget deficit of 2.7%, [36] which is within the limits for eurozone countries imposed by the Maastricht criteria, and Government gross debt of 69.8%. [37] At 5.9%, Malta had the sixth-lowest unemployment rate in the EU in 2015. [38]
Malta is the 33rd-most democratic country in the world according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index.
Malta like a lot of insular country necessarily have an airport, Luqa International Airport, and two majors ports, Malta Freeport and Valletta Cruise Port. Malta Freeport is used for all cargo ships and imports-exports but Valletta Cruise Port is only used by cruise ships.
Luqa International Airport serves 115 destinations thanks to 35 different airlines. In 2023, 7.8 millions people traveled in this airport which have contributed significantly to the Maltese economy. Approximately 24%, $2.7 billion, of the Maltese GDP is due to the air transport sector and industry. The air flag carrier of Malta Air Malta, which became KM Malta Airlines in 2024, reach 679.4 million of euros in revenue in 2022. There’s also Universal Air which started operations in Avril 2024 with a fleet of 4 aircraft and 2 others are in orders. The airport, his supply chain and the Maltese-based airlines employed almost 7.000 people in Malta.
On the other side, maritime activities bringing about €260 million in the economy. The Malta Freeport contribute to €170 million on the total revenue, and 90 other are come from the Valletta Cruise Port. The Freeport connects Malta with 110 others ports in the world including 55 in the Mediterranean. 2.80 million of TEU were processed in 2022 thanks to 2.189 container ship arrival. The Valletta Cruise Port welcomed 900.000 passengers in 2023 which brought €53 million to the economy during their journey on the island and the rest were spent on the cruise ship.
During the Napoleonic Wars (1800–1815), Malta's economy prospered and became the focal point of a major trading system. In 1808, two-thirds of the cargo consigned from Malta went to Levant and Egypt. Later, one half of the cargo was usually destined for Trieste. Cargo consisted of largely British and colonial-manufactured goods. Malta's economy became prosperous from this trade and many artisans, such as weavers, found new jobs in the port industry.
In 1820, during the Battle of Navarino, which took place in Greece, the British fleet was based in Malta. In 1839, the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company and East India Companies used Malta as a calling port on their Egypt and Levant runs.
In 1869, the opening of the Suez Canal benefited Malta's economy greatly as there was a massive increase in the shipping which entered in the port. The economy had entered a special phase. The Mediterranean Sea became the "world highway of trade" and a number of ships called at Malta for coal and various supplies on their way to the Indian Ocean and the Far East. From 1871 to 1881, about 8,000 workers found jobs in the Malta docks and a number of banks opened in Malta. By 1882, Malta reached the height of its prosperity.
However, the boom did not last long. By the end of the 19th century, the economy began declining and by the 1940s, Malta's economy was in serious crisis. This was primarily due to the invention of large ships which had become oil-fired and therefore had no need to stop in the Grand Harbor of Malta to refuel. The British Government had to extend the dockyard.
At the end of World War II, Malta's strategic importance had reached a low point. Modern air warfare technology and the invention of the atomic bomb had changed the importance of the military base. The British lost control of the Suez Canal and withdrew from the naval dockyard, transforming it for commercial shipbuilding and ship repair purposes.
The Maltese economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing (especially electronics and pharmaceuticals), and tourism. Malta adopted the Euro currency on 1 January 2008.
Tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings derived from tourism have steadily increased since 1987. [39] Following the September 11 attacks, the tourist industry suffered a temporary setback. With the help of a favorable international economic climate, the availability of domestic resources, and industrial policies that support foreign export-oriented investment, the economy has been able to sustain a period of rapid growth.[ citation needed ] Growing public and private sector demand for credit has led — in the context of interest rate controls — to credit rationing to the private sector and the introduction of non-interest charges by banks. Despite these pressures, consumer price inflation has remained low (2.2% according to the Central Bank of Malta in 2007), reflecting the impact of a fixed exchange rate policy (100% hard peg to the euro, in preparation for currency changeover) and lingering price controls.
There is a strong manufacturing base for high value-added products like electronics and pharmaceuticals, and the manufacturing sector has more than 250 foreign-owned, export-oriented enterprises. Tourism generates around 15% of GDP. Film production in Malta is another growing industry (approx. 35 million euros between 1997 and 2011), despite stiff competition from other film locations in Eastern Europe and North Africa, with the Malta Film Commission providing support services to foreign film companies for the production of feature cinema, commercials and television series. [40]
From 2001 to 2005 the mean GDP real growth was 0.4% [41] due to Malta losing pace in tourism and other industries. Unemployment was down to 4.4%, its lowest level in 3 years. Many formerly state-owned companies are being privatised—and the market liberalised.
Fiscal policy has been directed toward bringing down the budget deficit after public debt grew from a negative figure in 1988 to 56% in 1999 and 69.1% in 2009. [42] By 2007, the deficit-to-GDP ratio was comfortably below 3% as required for eurozone membership, but due to pre-election spending has gone up to 4.4% in 2008 and 3.8% in 2009. [42]
This article needs to be updated.(January 2014) |
Despite a great potential for solar and wind power, [43] Malta produces almost all its electricity from oil, importing 100% of it. [44] Energy and the cost of energy, which is oft-quoted as the highest in Europe, was a key issue in the 2013 election. [45]
Sector | Average annual employment | Average annual earnings per capita in euros |
---|---|---|
Food and beverages; tobacco | 2,873 | 13,441 |
Textiles and textile products | 422 | 15,512 |
Wearing apparel and clothes | 733 | 11,698 |
Leather and leather products | 185 | 9,308 |
Wood and wood products | 78 | 12,000 |
Paper and paper products | 265 | 15,698 |
Publishing and printing | 1,669 | 17,615 |
Chemicals and chemical products | 1,038 | 19,052 |
Rubber and plastic products | 1,578 | 15,254 |
Other non-metallic mineral products | 766 | 11,928 |
Fabricated metal products | 596 | 14,451 |
Machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 446 | 13,518 |
Electrical machinery and apparatus | 1,409 | 16,515 |
Radio, TV and communication equipment | 3,168 | 18,673 |
Medical, precision and optical instruments | 877 | 15,582 |
Motor vehicles, trailers and semitrailers | 50 | 10,220 |
Other transport equipment | 258 | 20,938 |
Furniture and manufacturing n.e.c. | 1,597 | 15,753 |
Total | 18,008 | 15,812 |
Rank | Company | Founded | Market % |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Bank of Valletta | 1974 | 44.67 % |
2 | HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c. | 1999 | 20.48 % |
3 | APS BANK P.L.C. | 1910 | 8.41 % |
4 | MeDirect Bank (Malta) plc | 2004 | 6.87 % |
5 | FIMBank plc | 1995 | 5.70 % |
6 | Lombard Bank Malta plc | 1955 | 3.85 % |
7 | BNF Bank plc | 2008 | 3.13 % |
This article needs to be updated.(January 2014) |
Electricity - production: 1,620 GWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 98.6%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
Renewable sources: 1.4%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 1,507 GWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs
Currency: 1 euro = 100 cents since 1 January 2008
previously 1 Maltese lira = 100 cents;
Exchange rates: Maltese liri (LM) per US$1 – 0.4086 (January 2000), 0.3994 (1999), 0.3885 (1998), 0.3857 (1997), 0.3604 (1996), 0.3529 (1995) Irrevocably fixed conversion rate to the euro: Maltese liri (LM) per EUR1 - 0.4293 (2007)
According to HitHorizons, companies registered in Malta generate € 88,255,174,701 in sales per annum. The company with the highest sales is ALKAGESTA LTD with € 2.075B followed by HC TRADING MALTA LIMITED and ADVAITA TRADE PRIVATE LIMITED with € 1.346B and € 1.253B in sales respectively. [49]
Poverty and social exclusion are significant problems in Malta. [50] As of 2008, an estimate of 15% of Malta's citizens were living below the poverty line, which was slightly better than the EU average of 17% at the time. [51] To address the issue of poverty, on 24 December 2014 Malta addressed poverty in the six branches of social services, health and environment, culture, income and social benefits, education and employment, by unveiling the National Strategic Policy for Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion; this will stay in effect from 2014 to 2024. [52] Under this policy, stakeholders will be involved in the discussion of how to reduce hardships experienced by families living in Malta. [53]
Benefits for unemployment are given out based on contributory and non-contributory schemes. Contributory schemes distribute unemployment benefits within 50 weeks of contribution. Non-contributory schemes a Social Unemployment Benefit is granted after a means test to the head of a household. In order to qualify for unemployment benefits, a person must be able to do work and have registered as unemployed. [54]
There are three categories to the Malta registrar of unemployment. People who have never worked fall into category one. Those who quit or were dismissed from their jobs fall into category two. Category three is for people who are currently employed but are looking for other job prospects. Benefits for unemployment are given for 156 days after which a person may qualify for the means tested unemployment assistance. [55] People eligible for unemployment benefits are Maltese citizens who are aged sixteen years or older, people signed up for eligible work-study programs, and citizens outside of Malta who are employed by foreign entities. [56]
Some scholars have noted that Malta's unemployment system has created a dependency on the benefits provided by the system. [57] From 1992 to 2005, there was an increase in the number of recipients of both short-term and long-term benefits. [57] Additionally, in 2016, 969 Maltese citizens were cut off the employment register for abusing the system. [58] For these reasons, there has been movements from politicians to reduce and reshape the unemployment system. After the election of the Labour Party in 2013, the number of people receiving unemployment benefits dropped by 75%. [59] This same government introduced the "in-work" benefit which forces more people to work while helping the most poor and desperate. [59]
In order to be eligible for in-work benefit, applicants must first have children under the age of 23, and from that point, benefits vary depending on marital status and the number of people employed per family. For a single parent in employment who earns between €6,600-€16,500, they are eligible for a maximum payable rate of up to €1,250 annually per child. For a married couple whose collective income is between €10,000 and is less than €24,000 (the income of one of the spouses must be over €3,000), they are eligible for a maximum payment rate of up to €1,200 annually per child. [60] In 2016, the in-work benefit was extended to married couples where only one parent works, extending the benefit to an additional 3,700 families. [61] For a married couple with only one parent gainfully employed whose income is greater than €6,600 and less than €16,500, they are eligible for a maximum payable rate of up to €350 yearly per child. [60] The in-work benefit is paid quarterly in January, April, July, and October. [62]
At 42.3% in 2017, female workforce participation rate in Malta is relatively low. [63] For over half of Maltese women who stay out of the workforce altogether, they do not receive direct unemployment benefits. Rather, most unemployment benefits are given to men because to receive unemployment benefits, one must first be employed. [57] However, because older women tend to stay out of the workforce, those women who do participate in the workforce tend to be younger and have higher levels of education. This has led to a lower long-term unemployment rate amongst women than men. In 2011, the long-term unemployment rate of women was 2.5% while the long-term unemployment rate of men was 3.3%. [64]
Malta has public and private pension systems. There are two types of contributions for the public pension system: class one and class two. Employed people contribute to class one and those are self-employed contribute to class two. [65] There was a gradual increase in pension age in Malta in the 1950s and 1960s; for example, someone who was born in 1953 needs to be 62 years old in order to collect pensions while another person born in 1960 would have to be 64 years old in order to collect pensions. [66] Another requirement to qualify for a Malta pension program is that a person must have been contributing to the program for a certain time period or they will not be eligible. [67] .In Malta there is a state Malta Retirement Programme for foreign pensioners. According to the programme, a foreigner whose income is more than 75% from pension payments, can receive a residence permit in the country and a special tax status. [68]
The economy of the Czech Republic is a developed export-oriented social market economy based in services, manufacturing, and innovation that maintains a high-income welfare state and the European social model. The Czech Republic participates in the European Single Market as a member of the European Union, and is therefore a part of the economy of the European Union. It uses its own currency, the Czech koruna, instead of the euro. It is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The Czech Republic ranks 16th in inequality-adjusted human development and 24th in World Bank Human Capital Index, ahead of countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom or France. It was described by The Guardian as "one of Europe's most flourishing economies".
Denmark is a modern high-income and highly developed mixed economy, dominated by the service sector with 80% of all jobs; about 11% of employees work in manufacturing and 2% in agriculture. The nominal Gross National Income per capita was the ninth-highest in the world at $68,827 in 2023.
The economy of Estonia is rated advanced by the World Bank, i.e. with high quality of life and advanced infrastructure relative to less industrialized nations. Estonia is a member of the European Union, eurozone and OECD The economy is heavily influenced by developments in the Finnish and Swedish economies.
The economy of Greece is the 52nd largest in the world, with a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of $252.732 billion per annum. In terms of purchasing power parity, Greece is the world's 54th largest economy, at $436.757 billion per annum. As of 2023, Greece is the sixteenth largest economy in the European Union and eleventh largest in the eurozone. According to the International Monetary Fund's figures for 2024, Greece's GDP per capita is $24,342 at nominal value and $42,066 at purchasing power parity. Among OECD nations, Greece has a highly efficient and strong social security system; social expenditure stood at roughly 24.1% of GDP.
The economy of Hungary is a developing, high-income mixed economy that is the 53rd-largest economy in the world with $265.037 billion annual output, and ranks 41st in the world in terms of GDP per capita measured by purchasing power parity. Hungary has a very high human development index and a skilled labour force, with the 22nd lowest income inequality by Gini index in the world. Hungary has an export-oriented market economy with a heavy emphasis on foreign trade; thus the country is the 35th largest export economy in the world. The country had more than $100 billion of exports in 2015, with a high trade surplus of $9.003 billion, of which 79% went to the European Union (EU) and 21% was extra-EU trade. Hungary's productive capacity is more than 80% privately owned, with 39.1% overall taxation, which funds the country's welfare economy. On the expenditure side, household consumption is the main component of GDP and accounts for 50% of its total, followed by gross fixed capital formation with 22% and government expenditure with 20%.
The economy of Latvia is an open economy in Europe and is part of the European Single Market. Latvia is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 1999, a member of the European Union since 2004, a member of the Eurozone since 2014 and a member of the OECD since 2016. Latvia is ranked the 14th in the world by the Ease of Doing Business Index prepared by the World Bank Group. According to the Human Development Report 2023/24 by the United Nations Development Programme, has a HDI score of a 0.879. Due to its geographical location, transit services are highly developed, along with timber and wood processing, agriculture and food products, and manufacturing of machinery and electronic devices.
The economy of North Macedonia has become more liberalized, with an improved business environment, since its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, which deprived the country of its key protected markets and the large transfer payments from Belgrade. Prior to independence, North Macedonia was Yugoslavia's poorest republic. An absence of infrastructure, United Nations sanctions on its largest market, and a Greek economic embargo hindered economic growth until 1996.
The economy of Poland is an emerging and developing, high-income, industrialized, mixed economy that serves as the sixth-largest in the European Union by nominal GDP and fifth-largest by GDP (PPP). Poland boasts the extensive public services characteristic of most developed economies and is one of few countries in Europe to provide no tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate education and with universal public healthcare that is free at a point of use. Since 1988, Poland has pursued a policy of economic liberalisation but retained an advanced public welfare system. It ranks 20th worldwide in terms of GDP (PPP), 21st in terms of GDP (nominal), and 21st in the 2023 Economic Complexity Index. Among OECD nations, Poland has a highly efficient and strong social security system; social expenditure stood at roughly 22.7% of GDP.
The economy of Romania is a developing high-income mixed economy, with a high degree of complexity. It ranks 12th in the European Union by total nominal GDP and 7th largest when adjusted by purchasing power (PPP). The World Bank notes that Romania's efforts are focused on accelerating structural reforms and strengthening institutions in order to further converge with the European Union. The country's economic growth has been one of the highest in the EU since 2010, with 2022 seeing a better-than-expected 4.8% increase.
The economy of Slovakia is based upon Slovakia becoming an EU member state in 2004, and adopting the euro at the beginning of 2009. Its capital, Bratislava, is the largest financial centre in Slovakia. As of Q1 2018, the unemployment rate was 5.72%.
The economy of Slovenia is a developed mixed economy. The country enjoys a high level of prosperity and stability as well as above-average GDP per capita by purchasing power parity at 91% of the EU average in 2023. The nominal GDP in 2023 is 68.108 billion USD, nominal GDP per capita (GDP/pc) in 2023 is USD 32,350. The highest GDP/pc is in central Slovenia, where the capital city Ljubljana is located. It is part of the Western Slovenia statistical region, which has a higher GDP/pc than eastern Slovenia.
The economy of Spain is a highly developed social market economy. It is the world's 15th largest by nominal GDP and the sixth-largest in Europe. Spain is a member of the European Union and the eurozone, as well as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Trade Organization. In 2023, Spain was the 18th-largest exporter in the world. Meanwhile, in 2022, Spain was the 15th-largest importer in the world. Spain is listed 27th in the United Nations Human Development Index and 36th in GDP per capita by the World Bank. Some main areas of economic activity are the automotive industry, medical technology, chemicals, shipbuilding, tourism and the textile industry. Among OECD members, Spain has a highly efficient and strong social security system, which comprises roughly 23% of GDP.
The economy of the Netherlands is a highly developed market economy focused on trade and logistics, manufacturing, services, innovation and technology and sustainable and renewable energy. It is the world's 18th largest economy by nominal GDP and the 28th largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) and is the fifth largest economy in European Union by nominal GDP. It has the world's 11th highest per capita GDP (nominal) and the 13th highest per capita GDP (PPP) as of 2023 making it one of the highest earning nations in the world. Many of the world's largest tech companies are based in its capital Amsterdam or have established their European headquarters in the city, such as IBM, Microsoft, Google, Oracle, Cisco, Uber, Netflix and Tesla. Its second largest city Rotterdam is a major trade, logistics and economic center of the world and is Europe's largest seaport. Netherlands is ranked fifth on global innovation index and fourth on the Global Competitiveness Report. Among OECD nations, Netherlands has a highly efficient and strong social security system; social expenditure stood at roughly 25.3% of GDP.
The economy of Belgium is a highly developed, high-income, mixed economy.
The economy of France is a highly developed social market economy with notable state participation in strategic sectors. It is the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP and the ninth-largest economy by PPP, constituting around 4% of world GDP. Due to a volatile currency exchange rate, France's GDP as measured in dollars fluctuates sharply, being smaller in 2024 than in 2008. France has a diversified economy, that is dominated by the service sector, whilst the industrial sector accounted for 19.5% of its GDP and the primary sector accounted for the remaining 1.7%. In 2020, France was the largest Foreign Direct Investment recipient in Europe, and Europe's second largest spender in research and development. It was ranked among the 10 most innovative countries in the world by the 2020 Bloomberg Innovation Index, as well as the 15th most competitive nation globally according to the 2019 Global Competitiveness Report. It was the fifth-largest trading nation in the world. France is also the most visited destination in the world, as well as the European Union's leading agricultural power.
The economy of Austria is a highly developed social market economy, with the country being one of the fourteen richest in the world in terms of GDP per capita. Until the 1980s, many of Austria's largest industry firms were nationalised. In recent years, privatisation has reduced state holdings to a level comparable to other European economies. Among OECD nations, Austria has a highly efficient and strong social security system; social expenditure stood at roughly 29.4% of GDP.
The economy of the European Union is the joint economy of the member states of the European Union (EU). It is the second largest economy in the world in nominal terms, after the United States, and the third largest at purchasing power parity (PPP), after China and the US. The European Union's GDP is estimated to be $19.40 trillion (nominal) in 2024 or $28.04 trillion (PPP), representing around one-sixth of the global economy. Germany has the biggest national GDP of all EU countries, followed by France and Italy. In 2022, the social welfare expenditure of the European Union (EU) as a whole was 27.2% of its GDP.
The economy of the Republic of Ireland is a highly developed knowledge economy, focused on services in high-tech, life sciences, financial services and agribusiness, including agrifood. Ireland is an open economy, and ranks first for high-value foreign direct investment (FDI) flows. In the global GDP per capita tables, Ireland ranks 2nd of 192 in the IMF table and 4th of 187 in the World Bank ranking.
The economy of Sweden is a highly developed export-oriented economy, aided by timber, hydropower, and iron ore. These constitute the resource base of an economy oriented toward foreign trade. The main industries include motor vehicles, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, industrial machines, precision equipment, chemical goods, home goods and appliances, forestry, iron, and steel. Traditionally, Sweden relied on a modern agricultural economy that employed over half the domestic workforce. Today Sweden further develops engineering, mine, steel, and pulp industries, which are competitive internationally, as evidenced by companies such as Ericsson, ASEA/ABB, SKF, Alfa Laval, AGA, and Dyno Nobel.
Poverty in Cyprus is not well documented, yet is still considered a major problem by the Cypriot government. Due to strong kinship bonds among extended families, poverty in Cyprus primarily affects those outside kinship networks, such as immigrants, divorcees and singles from small families. One study found a strong correlation between increased poverty and small family size. Poverty is also more likely to affect the elderly than the young, as a result of income to pensions raising the dependency levels.
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