Introduction
Background
With a civilization that dates back thousands of years, Malta boasts some of the oldest megalithic sites in the world. A British colony since 1814, Malta gained its independence in 1964 and declared itself a republic 10 years later. Since the mid-1980s, the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination.
Geography
Area
total: 316 sq km
land: 316 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Climate
Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers
Natural resources
limestone, salt, arable land
People and Society
Population
total: 469,730
male: 237,023
female: 232,707 (2024 est.)
Ethnic groups
Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)
Languages
Maltese (official) 90.1%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.9% (2005 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic (official) more than 90% (2006 est.)
Population growth rate
0.51% (2024 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Valletta
Executive branch
chief of state: President Myriam Spiteri DEBONO (since 4 April 2024)
head of government: Prime Minister Robert ABELA (13 January 2020)
Legislative branch
description: unicameral House of Representatives or Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati, a component of the Parliament of Malta (65 seats statutory, 79 for 2022-2027 term; members directly elected in 5 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Economy
Economic overview
high-income, EU-member European economy; diversified portfolio; euro user; dependent on food and energy imports; strong tourism, trade, and manufacturing sectors; high North African immigration; large welfare system; educated workforce
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$25.834 billion (2022 est.)
$24.163 billion (2021 est.)
$21.517 billion (2020 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$48,600 (2022 est.)
$46,600 (2021 est.)
$41,800 (2020 est.)
Agricultural products
milk, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, cauliflower/broccoli, pork, chicken, cabbages, pumpkins/squash, grapes (2022)
Industries
tourism, electronics, ship building and repair, construction, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, footwear, clothing, tobacco, aviation services, financial services, information technology services
Exports
$25.417 billion (2022 est.)
$25.533 billion (2021 est.)
$22.735 billion (2020 est.)
Exports - partners
Germany 12%, Italy 6%, France 6%, Japan 5%, Singapore 5% (2022)
Exports - commodities
integrated circuits, packaged medicine, refined petroleum, fish, postage stamps/documents (2022)
Imports
$23.883 billion (2022 est.)
$22.958 billion (2021 est.)
$20.164 billion (2020 est.)
Imports - partners
Italy 14%, China 11%, South Korea 11%, Germany 10%, Canada 5% (2022)
Imports - commodities
ships, refined petroleum, aircraft, integrated circuits, packaged medicine (2022)
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.95 (2022 est.)
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)
0.847 (2018 est.)
Page last updated: Tuesday, May 07, 2024
