Malta

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

35 50 N, 14 35 E

Europe

316 sq km

316 sq km

0 sq km

Slightly less than twice the size of Washington, D.C.

0 km

196.8 km (excludes 56 km for the island of Gozo)

12 nm

24 nm

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

25 nm

Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers

Mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs

Ta'Dmejrek on Dingli Cliffs 253 m

Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Limestone, salt, arable land

25.9% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 22.8% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 3.2% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

1.5% (2023 est.)

66.4% (2023 est.)

39 sq km (2022)

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

Occasional droughts

The country is an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors

521,828 (2025 est.)

271,180

250,648

Maltese (singular and plural)

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.)

14.5% (male 35,034/female 33,181)

62.4% (male 151,836/female 141,248)

23.1% (2024 est.) (male 50,153/female 58,278)

54.1 (2025 est.)

21.2 (2025 est.)

32.9 (2025 est.)

3 (2025 est.)

42.1 years (2025 est.)

42.4 years

44.7 years

0.65% (2025 est.)

7.67 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

8.65 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

7.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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

94.9% of total population (2023)

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

213,000 VALLETTA (capital) (2018)

1.04 male(s)/female

1.06 male(s)/female

1.07 male(s)/female

0.86 male(s)/female

1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

29.3 years (2020 est.)

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

4.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

4.3 deaths/1,000 live births

4.5 deaths/1,000 live births

83.6 years (2024 est.)

81.5 years

85.8 years

1.18 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.57 (2025 est.)

Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

10.6% of GDP (2021)

16.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

7.86 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

4.4 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

28.9% (2016)

8.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

2.8 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

2.34 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

2.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

0.42 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

22.1% (2025 est.)

23.9% (2025 est.)

20.2% (2025 est.)

0.7% (2022 est.)

52% (2021 est.)

4.7% of GDP (2022 est.)

12.5% national budget (2022 est.)

16 years (2023 est.)

15 years (2023 est.)

17 years (2023 est.)

Limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; wildlife preservation

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

None of the selected agreements

Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers

25.9% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 22.8% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 3.2% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

1.5% (2023 est.)

66.4% (2023 est.)

94.9% of total population (2023)

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

8.965 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

8.113 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

852,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

13.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

348,800 tons (2024 est.)

10.5% (2022 est.)

39.497 million cubic meters (2022)

1 million cubic meters (2022)

21.358 million cubic meters (2022)

50.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Republic of Malta

Malta

Repubblika ta' Malta

Malta

The origin is unclear; the name may come from the ancient term mel, meaning "high" and probably referring to the island's rocks; the ancient Greeks called the island "Melite," possibly from the Greek word meli, meaning "honey" and referring to the island's honey production

Parliamentary republic

Valletta

35 53 N, 14 30 E

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Named in honor of Jean Parizot de la VALETTE, the Grand Master of the Order of Saint John (crusader knights), who founded the city in 1566

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

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

Many previous; latest adopted 21 September 1964

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

Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

No

At least one parent must be a citizen of Malta

No

5 years

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

President Myriam Spiteri DEBONO (since 4 April 2024)

Prime Minister Robert ABELA (since 13 January 2020)

Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

President indirectly elected by the House of Representatives for a single 5-year term; following legislative elections, the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister for a 5-year term; deputy prime minister appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

27 March 2024

2024: Myriam Spiteri DEBONO (PL) elected president; House of Representatives vote - unanimous 2019: George VELLA (PL) elected president; House of Representatives vote - unanimous

By March 2029

House of Representatives (Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati)

Unicameral

65 (all directly elected)

Proportional representation

Full renewal

5 years

3/26/2022

Labour Party (LP) (44); Nationalist Party (PN) (35)

29.1%

March 2027

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)

Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president, usually on the advice of the prime minister; judges of both courts serve until age 65

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)

AD+PD or ADPD (formed from the merger of Democratic Alternative or AD and Democratic Party (Partit Demokratiku) or PD) Labor Party (Partit Laburista) or PL Nationalist Party (Partit Nazzjonalista) or PN

Ambassador Godfrey C. XUEREB (since 19 April 2023)

2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

[1] (771) 213-4050

[1] (202) 530-9753​

Maltaembassy.washington@gov.mt The Embassy (gov.mt)

Ambassador Somers FARKAS (since 26 November 2025)

Ta' Qali National Park, Attard, ATD 4000

5800 Valletta Place, Washington DC 20521-5800

[356] 2561-4000

ACSMalta@state.gov https://mt.usembassy.gov/

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, NATO (partner), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

21 September 1964 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 21 September (1964); Republic Day, 13 December (1974)

Description: two equal vertical bands of white (left side) and red; in the upper-left corner is the George Cross, edged in red history: according to legend, the colors come from the red-and-white checkered banner of Count Roger of Sicily, who removed a bicolored corner and granted it to Malta in 1091, but the colors more likely come from the Knights of Saint John, who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798; in 1942, Britain's King George VI awarded the George Cross to the islanders for their exceptional bravery and gallantry in World War II, and the George Cross bordered in red was added to the flag after independence in 1964

Maltese eight-pointed cross

Red, white

Adopted in 1988, Malta’s coat of arms has a shield displaying the national flag, with olive and palm branches on each side symbolizing peace. On top of the shield is a golden crown in the shape of a fortification with five turrets, representing Malta's forts. The white ribbon below the shield displays the name Repubblika ta' Malta (Republic of Malta).

"L-Innu Malti" (The Hymn of Malta)

Dun Karm PSAILA/Robert SAMMUT

Adopted 1945; written in the form of a prayer to bind together the political parties and the country

3 (all cultural)

City of Valletta; Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum; Megalithic Temples of Malta

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

$34.731 billion (2024 est.)

$32.774 billion (2023 est.)

$30.689 billion (2022 est.)

6% (2024 est.)

6.8% (2023 est.)

4.3% (2022 est.)

$60,500 (2024 est.)

$59,300 (2023 est.)

$57,800 (2022 est.)

$24.322 billion (2024 est.)

1.7% (2024 est.)

5.1% (2023 est.)

6.2% (2022 est.)

0.2% (2024 est.)

11.4% (2024 est.)

80.8% (2024 est.)

46.6% (2024 est.)

17.2% (2024 est.)

17.9% (2024 est.)

0.9% (2024 est.)

123.5% (2024 est.)

-106.1% (2024 est.)

Milk, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, chicken, cauliflower/broccoli, cabbages, pork, pumpkins/squash, watermelons (2023)

Tourism, electronics, ship building and repair, construction, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, footwear, clothing, tobacco, aviation services, financial services, information technology services

5.6% (2024 est.)

318,200 (2024 est.)

2.8% (2024 est.)

3.2% (2023 est.)

3% (2022 est.)

7.8% (2024 est.)

9.6% (2024 est.)

5.7% (2024 est.)

16.7% (2021 est.)

34.6 (2022 est.)

2.7% (2022 est.)

27.7% (2022 est.)

0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

$6.95 billion (2023 est.)

$7.966 billion (2023 est.)

50.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

21.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

$1.383 billion (2024 est.)

$1.425 billion (2023 est.)

-$167.611 million (2022 est.)

$29.245 billion (2024 est.)

$26.647 billion (2023 est.)

$23.566 billion (2022 est.)

Nigeria 28%, Germany 10%, China 6%, Singapore 5%, Hong Kong 4% (2023)

Refined petroleum, integrated circuits, packaged medicine, ships, postage stamps/documents (2023)

$24.505 billion (2024 est.)

$22.637 billion (2023 est.)

$21.406 billion (2022 est.)

Italy 18%, China 10%, Germany 8%, France 7%, Turkey 7% (2023)

Ships, refined petroleum, integrated circuits, aircraft, packaged medicine (2023)

$1.418 billion (2024 est.)

$1.223 billion (2023 est.)

$1.199 billion (2022 est.)

Euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.924 (2024 est.)

0.925 (2023 est.)

0.95 (2022 est.)

0.845 (2021 est.)

0.876 (2020 est.)

100% (2022 est.)

829,000 kW (2023 est.)

2.766 billion kWh (2023 est.)

28 million kWh (2023 est.)

648 million kWh (2023 est.)

199.086 million kWh (2023 est.)

86.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

13.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

8.4 metric tons (2021 est.)

3.9 metric tons (2022 est.)

50,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

444.715 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

444.715 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

234.698 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

259,000 (2023 est.)

49 (2023 est.)

767,000 (2024 est.)

142 (2024 est.)

2 publicly owned TV stations, Television Malta and 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

92% (2023 est.)

236,000 (2023 est.)

44 (2023 est.)

9H

1 (2025)

2 (2025)

1,957 (2023)

Bulk carrier 490, container ship 348, general cargo 152, oil tanker 354, other 613

2 (2024)

0

1

1

0

0

Marsaxlokk, Valletta Harbors

The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM): Land Component (combat, combat support, and combat service support divided into three regiments), Maritime Squadron, Air Wing; Volunteer Reserve Force (2025)

0.5% of GDP (2024 est.)

0.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

0.7% of GDP (2022 est.)

0.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

0.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Approximately 2,000 active Armed Forces of Malta (2025)

The military has a small inventory of armaments from a mix of European countries, particularly Italy, and the US (2025)

18-30 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2026)

The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) are responsible for external security but also have some domestic security responsibilities; the AFM’s primary roles include maintaining the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, monitoring and policing its territorial waters, participating in overseas peacekeeping and stability operations, and providing search and rescue and explosive ordnance disposal capabilities; secondary missions include assisting civil authorities during emergencies, supporting the police and other security services, and providing ceremonial and other public support duties Malta maintains a security policy of neutrality but contributes to EU, Organization for the Security and Cooperation (OSCE), and UN military missions and joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1995 (suspended in 1996, but reactivated in 2008); it also participates in various bilateral and multinational military exercises; Malta cooperates closely with Italy on defense matters; in 1973, Italy established a military mission in Malta to provide advice, training, and search and rescue assistance (2025)

9,284 (2024 est.)

171 (2024 est.)