Malta
Everything Palanor holds about Malta, in one place: 162 public signals, what its economy runs on, how often America’s largest companies name it, the news that names it, and Country Posture. Every figure is computed from stored readings and carries its source and date.
EuropeEuropean UnionEuro Area
The latest read
- GDP in current U.S. dollars: $27.8 billion (2025); record high since 1970; 1y +10.9%.
- Real GDP growth: 3.96% (2025); 34th percentile since 1971; lowest since 2022; 1y −2.25 pts.
- Consumer price inflation: 2.36% (2025); 54th percentile since 1960; 1y +0.71 pts.
- Unemployment: 2.9% (2025); record low since 1991; 1y −0.2 pts.
- Household consumption, share of GDP: 44.6% of GDP (2025); 10th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2022; 1y −0.35 pts.
- Net exports, share of GDP: 19.2% of GDP (2025); 93rd percentile since 1990; 1y −0.03 pts.
Country Posture
What Malta’s economy is doing
Momentum
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.590 below 0.60; AUC 0.590 below the single-input baseline (0.624); 2010–2022: AUC 0.595 below 0.60; AUC 0.595 below the single-input baseline (0.641).
Inputs
| Real GDP growth | 4.0 |
| Growth against its three-year average | -2.5 |
| Change in unemployment | -0.2 |
| Change in the employment rate | -0.0 |
| Export volume growth | — |
| OECD leading indicator | — |
Resilience
202548Moderate buffers
0 = thin buffers · 100 = deep buffers
Inputs
| Interest as a share of revenue (2024) | 3.5 | 78 |
| Budget balance (2024) | -3.5 | 41 |
| Reserves, months of imports (2024) | 0.2 | 13 |
| Current account (2024) | 7.1 | 83 |
| Governance (WGI mean) | 0.67 | 38 |
| External debt | — | — |
Pressure
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.657 below the single-input baseline (0.672).
Inputs
| Inflation | 2.4 |
| Change in inflation | 0.7 |
| Currency move against the dollar | -4.3% |
| Conflict deaths per million | 0.0 |
| Political stability | 1.04 |
| Private credit, three-year change (2024) | -6.7 |
| Bond spread over U.S. Treasuries | — |
Posture describes what an economy is doing; it is not a rating and never ranks countries. Each input is read against the country’s own history and against every other economy that year. An axis shows a score only after passing a back-test fixed before any result was computed. Method and back-test.
Country Schemas
Where Malta is in its cycles
Where Malta sits in eight long cycles, each read from published statistics against a method fixed before any reading was computed. A stage describes; it is not a rating, and no stage is better or worse than another.
- Development stage
High mass consumption100% · 2025
Pre-take-offTake-offDrive to maturityHigh mass consumption20002025
- Demographic stage
Declining80% · 2025
High stationaryEarly expandingLate expandingLow stationaryDeclining20002025
- Debt cycle stage
Early cycle88% · 2025
Early cycleLeveragingLate cycleDeleveraging20002025
- External balance stage
Debt repayer54% · 2025
Immature debtorMature debtorDebt repayerImmature creditorMature creditorCredit disinvestor20002025
- Export structure stage
Manufacturing exporter91% · 2025
Commodity-reliantDiversifyingManufacturing exporterComplex exporter20002025
- Structural pressure
Low99% · 2025
LowBuildingHighAcute20002025
- Middle-class stage
Affluent99% · 2025
Pre-middle-classEmerging middle classMiddle-class majorityAffluent20062025
- Electoral cycle
Post-election99% · 2026-10
Post-electionMid-termPre-election2022-042026-10
Passport reach
Where a Malta passport opens doors
The share of world GDP, outside Malta itself, in the economies whose published rules let a holder of this passport in, as of October 2026. Palanor records the rules of destinations holding 88% of world GDP, from each government’s own list, and weights them by World Bank GDP for 2025. Rank is among 199 passports.
Work
22.1%rank 40 of 199
the right to work (free movement in full; treaty and working-holiday routes at half); 30 destinations in full, 3 at half.
Recorded changes
Investment migration programs
- Citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment (Maltese Citizenship Act art. 10(9); S.L. 188.06 / L.N. 437 of 2020) citizenship · ClosedGovernment minimum $698,007 for one person, $903,534 for a family of four (agent fees excluded).
- Individual Investor Programme (citizenship, 2014 to 2020) citizenship · ClosedGovernment minimum — for one person (agent fees excluded).
- Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) residence · OpenGovernment minimum $109,502 for one person, $111,187 for a family of four (agent fees excluded).
Reach is shown here and not weighted into Country Strength: it rewards membership of a free-movement area or a treaty more than the strength of an economy. Entry is always at the border officer’s discretion, and conditions (length of stay, fees, age limits) vary. Method, sources and the full ranking: Passports and citizenship.
Palanor calculation from each destination government's published rules; GDP weights from the World Bank (CC BY 4.0), one year for the whole line, so it moves only when a list changes.
GDP by expenditure
What Malta’s economy runs on
In 2025, household spending was 44.6% of GDP, government consumption 17.5%, investment 18.7% and net exports +19.2% (exports 119.1%, imports 99.9%).
World Bank national accounts. The parts can miss 100 by a few points (the statistical discrepancy).
Same World Bank definition for every country, so the shares compare directly: What each economy runs on.
IMF World Economic Outlook
The IMF’s outlook for Malta
The latest year before the October 2026 edition (often still an IMF estimate) and the IMF’s own projections. These are the IMF’s published forecasts, shown as published; Palanor does not project them further. Since the previous edition the IMF raised its growth forecast for this year by 0.5 percentage points (Palanor calculation).
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 IMF f’cast | 2027 IMF f’cast | 2031 IMF f’cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth% | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Inflation, average consumer prices% | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.0 |
| Unemployment rate% of labor force | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| GDP, current US dollarsUS$ bn | 27.9 | 30.5 | 32.3 | 40.7 |
| GDP at purchasing-power parityintl $ bn | 43.5 | 46.8 | 50.2 | 63.3 |
| GDP per person, US dollarsUS$ | 48,505 | 52,149 | 54,308 | 64,744 |
| Current account balance% of GDP | 8.6 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 6.0 |
| Government gross debt% of GDP | 46.2 | 46.5 | 46.4 | 44.4 |
| Government net debt% of GDP | 36.4 | 37.0 | 37.3 | 36.9 |
| Government overall balance% of GDP | -2.2 | -2.7 | -2.5 | -2.0 |
| Government primary balance% of GDP | -1.0 | -1.5 | -1.3 | -0.7 |
| Government net interest paid% of GDP · Palanor calc. | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database, October 2026. Provided by the IMF “as is” and free of charge from the IMF; the IMF does not endorse Palanor. Net interest paid is a Palanor calculation: the IMF's primary balance minus its overall balance.
Charts
The headline series
News
In the news
- Semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company GlobalFoundries Inc. says it plans to open two chip-making factories in Malta, New York, financed by an investment of up to $21 billion from Japan.
The Associated Press · Bluesky2026-10-15neutral · -contract +investment
Headlines that name Malta, matched by name with fixed rules (a wrong match is worse than a missing one). Tone is read from each headline’s own words; no model reads or summarizes an article, and other publishers’ stories link out.
Company graph
Companies headquartered in Malta
Palanor’s company graph holds 97 entities headquartered here, 1 with a listed ticker (GLEIF headquarters address, else legal address).
Signals
Every series about Malta
Grouped by theme, the most-read first. All 162 in the Library.
Growth and output10 of 42
- Malta · Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added · % of GDP3rd percentile since 1970; 1y −0.0214 pts0.47% of GDP2025
- Malta · GDP · USD bn (current)record high since 1970; 1y +10.9%$27.8bn2025
- Malta · Industry (incl. Construction) Value Added · % of GDPrecord low since 1970; 1y −0.49 pts10.1% of GDP2025
- Malta · Manufacturing Value Added · % of GDPrecord low since 1970; 1y −0.363 pts5.34% of GDP2025
- Malta · Services Value Added · % of GDP96th percentile since 1970; lowest since 2022; 1y −0.257 pts81.3% of GDP2025
- Malta · Real GDP Growth · % y/y34th percentile since 1971; lowest since 2022; 1y −2.25 pts3.96%2025
- Malta · Country Strength93rd percentile since 1990; highest since 2019; 1y +12.6%79.5 index2025
- Malta · GDP per Capita · PPP USDrecord high since 1990; 1y +3.1%72,210 usd2025
- Malta · GDP per Person · €record high since 1995; 1y +4.6%42,390 € per person2025
- Malta: GDP per Hour Worked at Purchasing-Power Parityrecord high since 1995; 1y +1.1%63.82025
Prices1 of 3
- Malta · Inflation · CPI % y/y54th percentile since 1960; 1y +0.71 pts2.36%2025
Jobs and people at work5 of 6
- Malta Unemployment Rate (Monthly, Eurostat)10th percentile since Jan 2000; 1y +0.9 pts3.4%2026-08-01
- Malta · Female Labor Force Participation · %96th percentile since 1990; 1y −0.09 pts55.8%2025
- Malta · Male Labor Force Participation · %60th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2020; 1y −0.27 pts71.6%2025
- Malta · Unemployment Rate · %record low since 1991; 1y −0.2 pts2.9%2025
- Average annual hours worked · Malta11th percentile since 1995; 1y +0.9%1,844.5 hours2025
Government and debt10
- Malta · Budget Balance · % GDP (central govt)39th percentile since 1972; highest since 2019; 1y +0.92-3.49 pct_gdp2024
- Malta · Interest · % of Revenue (central govt)43rd percentile since 1972; highest since 2020; 1y +0.11 pts3.49%2024
- Malta · Interest · % of Expense (central govt)36th percentile since 1972; highest since 2019; 1y +0.55 pts3.09%2023
- Malta · Government Debt · % GDP18th percentile since 1995; 1y +0.4%46.2 pct_gdp2025
- Malta · Budget Balance · % GDP67th percentile since 2000; highest since 2019; 1y +1.23-2.21 pct_gdp2025
- Malta · Government Spending · % GDP21st percentile since 2000; 1y −1.1%36.9 pct_gdp2025
- Malta · Net Interest · % GDP21st percentile since 2000; highest since 2019; 1y +5.1%1.21 pct_gdp2025
- Malta · Primary Balance · % GDP37th percentile since 2000; highest since 2019; 1y +1.29-1 pct_gdp2025
- Malta · EU Budget Net Balance (Operating Budgetary Balance) · € billionsrecord high since 2004; 1y +91.7%0.21 € billions2025
- Malta · EU Budget Net Balance, Cumulative since 2004 · € billionsrecord high since 2004; 1y +12.4%1.89 € billions2025
Trade and capital flows3 of 4
- Malta · Current Account · % GDP79th percentile since 1971; highest since 2021; 1y +8.6%7.1 pct_gdp2024
- Malta · Net International Investment Position, % of GDP (IMF)82nd percentile since 1995; lowest since 2018; 1y −10.72 pts80.6% of GDP2024
- Malta · Tourism Intensity: Nights per Resident (annual)record high since 2004; 1y +8.1%21.72025
Energy and resources3 of 7
- Malta · Business Electricity Price (incl. taxes) · € per kWh41st percentile since Jul 2007; 1y +0.5%0.14 € per kWh2026-01-01
- Malta · Household Electricity Price (incl. taxes) · € per kWh20th percentile since Jul 2007; 1y +0.6%0.13 € per kWh2026-01-01
- Malta · Wind and Solar Share of Electricity Generationrecord high since 2000; 1y +0.87 pts15.9% of generation2025
Conflict and geopolitics4 of 10
- Malta · Governance · WGI six-dimension meanrecord low since 1996; 1y −0.9%0.67 index2025
- Malta · Political Stability · WGI52nd percentile since 1996; highest since 2018; 1y +13.5%1.04 index2025
- Malta · Regulatory Quality · WGIrecord low since 1996; 1y −20.5%0.41 index2025
- Malta · Rule of Law · WGIrecord low since 1996; 1y −5.0%0.67 index2025
Aid in and out2
- Malta · Foreign Aid (Official Development Assistance) · US$ billions31st percentile since 2018; lowest since 2019; 1y −20.3%0.05 US$ billions2025
- Malta · ODA as % of GNIrecord low since 2018; 1y −0.08 pts0.21% of GNI2025
Migration4 of 6
- International Migrant Stock: Malta (UN)record high since 1990199,466 people2024
- International Migrants as a Share of Population: Malta (UN)record high since 199037% of population2024
- U.S.-Born People Living in Malta (UN)record high since 19906,313 people2024
- Change in Migrant Share of Population Since 2000: Malta (UN)31.62024
AI stance and technology2 of 4
- Malta · R&D Spending · % of GDP76th percentile since 2002; highest since 2015; 1y +0.03 pts0.61% of GDP2024
- Malta · R&D Spending per Person · € per inhabitantrecord high since 2002; 1y +11.5%248.82024
Climate and the physical world4 of 6
- Malta · Arable Land · % of landrecord low since 1961; 1y −1.01 pts22.2% of land area2024
- Malta · Renewable Freshwater · m³ per personrecord low since 1961; 1y −2.1%952022
- Malta · Forest Area · % of landrecord high since 1990; 1y unchanged1.49%2024
- Malta · PM2.5 Exposure · µg/m³record low since 1990; 1y −7.2%11.8 µg/m³2020
Health and living standards10
- Malta · Life Expectancy at Birth · years98th percentile since 1960; 1y −0.5%83 years2024
- Malta · Access to Electricity · % of populationrecord high since 1990; 1y unchanged100%2024
- Malta · Human Development Index · UNDPrecord high since 1990; 1y +0.8%0.92 index2023
- Malta · Basic Drinking Water Access · % of populationrecord high since 2000; 1y unchanged100%2024
- Malta · Safely Managed Drinking Water · % of populationrecord low since 2000; 1y −0.01 pts99.8%2024
- Malta · Undernourishment · % of populationrecord high since 2001; 1y unchanged2.5%2024
- Malta · Extreme Poverty ($3.00 a day) · % of population78th percentile since 2006; highest since 2020; 1y +0.3 pts0.4%2023
- Malta · Poverty at National Lines · % of population72nd percentile since 2004; lowest since 2016; 1y −0.2 pts16.7%2021
- Malta · Never Physically Active Outside Work · % of people40.4% of people2025-12-31
- Malta · Physically Active Outside Work Daily · % of people19.2% of people2025-12-31
Sentiment and attention1
- Malta · Search Attention73rd percentile since Sep 2021; lowest since Dec 28, 2025; 1y −12.3%64 index2026-09-20
Peers
Elsewhere in Europe
Alphabetical. Palanor does not rank countries.
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