Culture
Major languages include Maltese (official) 90.1%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.9% (2005 est.).
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Malta
EuropeLand of Contrasts
The numbers tell two very different stories about Malta. Think you can explain the gap?
The numbers tell two very different stories about Malta. A top performer in population density (#8), it falls behind in fertility rate. Think you can explain the gap?
35.9, 14.4 - Europe
Area
316 km²
Pop.
521.8K
Stats
125
Reality brief
Malta is a country in Europe with a population of 521.8K and an area of 316 km². Life expectancy is 83.5 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Life Expectancy
83.5 years#12globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Human Development Index
0.92#24globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
University Enrollment Rate
80.53%#24globally
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
GDP Per Capita
$60,469.78#27globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Malta
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Identity
Formal name: Republic of Malta.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
Malta is tiny, but its country map is an archipelago of Malta, Gozo, Comino, and smaller islets.
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
170.54% of GDP#1globallyTop stat
Foreign direct investment net inflows as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
High-Tech Exports (%)
45.18%#9globallyTop stat
High-tech products (like computers, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace) as a percentage of total manufactured exports.
Merchant Fleet Size
2.0K#14globallyTop stat
Number of merchant marine ships from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Urban Population (%)
95.65%#17globallyTop stat
The percentage of people living in cities and urban areas.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #221 in fertility rate
#2211.2 children/womanFertility Rate
The average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime based on current birth rates.
Only ranks #230 in airports
#2301.0Airports
Large, medium, and small airport records by country from the open OurAirports dataset.
Only ranks #204 in forest area
#2044.6 km²Forest Area
Total forest area in square kilometers, including natural and planted trees at least 5 meters tall.
Only ranks #205 in youth population (%)
#20513.03%Youth Population (%)
The percentage of the population aged 0 to 14.
Only ranks #149 in military spending
#1490.45% of GDPMilitary Spending
Military expenditure as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Compared with the region
How Malta Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Malta
Europe avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $69,832.19
- Region avg
- $57,483.02
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Malta$69,832.19
Europe$57,483.02
World$31,844.55
+119% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 83.5 years
- Region avg
- 80.0 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Malta83.5 years
Europe80.0 years
World73.7 years
+13% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.92
- Region avg
- 0.89
- World avg
- 0.74
Malta0.92
Europe0.89
World0.74
+25% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 92%
- Region avg
- 90.13%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Malta92%
Europe90.13%
World70.29%
+31% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Malta
Country briefing
With a civilization that dates back thousands of years, Malta boasts some of the oldest megalithic sites in the world.
Read the full Factbook note
With a civilization that dates back thousands of years, Malta boasts some of the oldest megalithic sites in the world. Situated in the center of the Mediterranean, Malta's islands have long served as a strategic military asset, with the islands at various times falling under the control of the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Moors, Normans, Sicilians, Spanish, Knights of St. John, and French. Most recently a British colony (since 1814), Malta gained its independence in 1964 and declared itself a republic 10 years later. While under British rule, the island staunchly supported the UK through both world wars. Since the mid-1980s, the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination, as its key industries moved toward more service-oriented activities. Malta became an EU member in 2004 and joined the eurozone in 2008.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)
- Climate
- Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers
- Terrain
- mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs
- Natural Resources
- limestone, salt, arable land
- Natural Hazards
- occasional droughts
- Size Comparison
- slightly less than twice the size of Washington, D.C.
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Maltese (official) 90.1%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.9% (2005 est.)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic (official) more than 90% (2006 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)
- Major Cities
- 213,000 VALLETTA (capital) (2018)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Valletta
- Capital Coordinates
- 35 53 N, 14 30 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Malta
- Name Origin
- 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
- Independence
- 21 September 1964 (from the UK)
- National Symbols
- Maltese eight-pointed cross
- National Anthem
- "L-Innu Malti" (The Hymn of Malta)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 3 (all cultural)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- 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
- Industries
- tourism, electronics, ship building and repair, construction, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, footwear, clothing, tobacco, aviation services, financial services, information technology services
- Agricultural Products
- milk, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, chicken, cauliflower/broccoli, cabbages, pork, pumpkins/squash, watermelons (2023)
- Export Partners
- Nigeria 28%, Germany 10%, China 6%, Singapore 5%, Hong Kong 4% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- refined petroleum, integrated circuits, packaged medicine, ships, postage stamps/documents (2023)
- Import Partners
- Italy 18%, China 10%, Germany 8%, France 7%, Turkey 7% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- ships, refined petroleum, integrated circuits, aircraft, packaged medicine (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense4 facts
- Military Forces
- 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)
- Military Service
- 18-30 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2026)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 86.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 13.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 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)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Wealth & Economy10 statsBest: #1
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
High-Tech Exports (%)
GDP Growth Rate
GDP Per Capita
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
Government Debt (% GDP)
GDP (Nominal)
Youth Unemployment Rate
Inflation Rate
Unemployment Rate
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #3
Doctors (per 1,000)
Life Expectancy
Obesity Rate
Health Spending (% GDP)
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Smoking Rate
Suicide Rate
Infant Mortality
Child Mortality
Demographics12 statsBest: #8
Population Density
Urban Population (%)
Elderly Population (%)
Median Age
Death Rate
Dependency Ratio
Teen Birth Rate
Population
Land Area
Birth Rate
Youth Population (%)
Fertility Rate
Infrastructure2 statsBest: #14
Merchant Fleet Size
2.0K#14
Airports
Education & Future6 statsBest: #24
Technology3 statsBest: #39
Environment9 statsBest: #42
Protected Land (%)
Electricity Access (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Irrigated Land
39 km²#154
Renewable Energy (%)
Total CO2 Emissions
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Forest Coverage (%)
Forest Area
Society & Equality2 statsBest: #50
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #53
Energy1 statsBest: #137
Electric Generating Capacity
829.0K kW#137
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #139
Lowest Elevation
0 m#140
Coastline Length
196.8 km#139
Highest Elevation
253 m#210
Land Border Length
0 km#208
Keep exploring
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Where Malta leads
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Share a country stat
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Malta
#8 in Population Density
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Top 5% globally
1.7K /km²
Frequently Asked Questions about Malta
What is the population of Malta?
Malta has a population of 521.8K, ranking #171 globally by population.
What continent is Malta in?
Malta is located in Europe. It has an area of 316 km².
What is the life expectancy in Malta?
Life expectancy in Malta is 83.5 years, ranking #12 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Malta?
Malta's GDP per capita (PPP) is $69,832.19, ranking #28 globally.
What is Malta known for in global statistics?
Malta ranks particularly high in Population Density (#8), Life Expectancy (#12), Life Expectancy (#19).
What is Malta's Human Development Index?
Malta has an HDI of 0.924, ranking #24 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Malta?
Malta has a population density of 1727.3 people per km², ranking #8 globally.