Malta

• Mediterranean;
• mild, rainy winters;
• hot, dry summers

agricultural land:

25.9% (2023 est.)

arable land:

22.8% (2023 est.)

permanent crops:

3.2% (2023 est.)

permanent pasture:

0% (2022 est.)

forest:

1.5% (2023 est.)

other:

66.4% (2023 est.)

noun:

Maltese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Maltese

total:

42.1 years (2025 est.)

male:

42.4 years

female:

44.7 years

at birth:

1.04 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.07 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.86 male(s)/female

total population:

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

total:

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

male:

4.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

4.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

83.6 years (2024 est.)

male:

81.5 years

female:

85.8 years

total:

8.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

2.8 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

2.34 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

2.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.42 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

22.1% (2025 est.)

male:

23.9% (2025 est.)

female:

20.2% (2025 est.)

• limited natural freshwater resources;
• deforestation;
• wildlife preservation

party to:

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

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• Mediterranean;
• mild, rainy winters;
• hot, dry summers

agricultural land:

25.9% (2023 est.)

arable land:

22.8% (2023 est.)

permanent crops:

3.2% (2023 est.)

permanent pasture:

0% (2022 est.)

forest:

1.5% (2023 est.)

other:

66.4% (2023 est.)

urban population:

94.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

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

municipal solid waste generated annually:

348,800 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

10.5% (2022 est.)

municipal:

39.497 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial:

1 million cubic meters (2022)

agricultural:

21.358 million cubic meters (2022)

conventional long form:

Republic of Malta

conventional short form:

Malta

local long form:

Repubblika ta' Malta

local short form:

Malta

etymology:

• 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

name:

Valletta

geographic coordinates:

35 53 N, 14 30 E

time difference:

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

daylight saving time:

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

etymology:

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

history:

many previous; latest adopted 21 September 1964

amendment process:

• 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

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Malta

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Myriam Spiteri DEBONO (since 4 April 2024)

head of government:

Prime Minister Robert ABELA (since 13 January 2020)

cabinet:

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

election/appointment process:

• 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

most recent election date:

27 March 2024

election results:

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

expected date of next election:

by March 2029

highest court(s):

• 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)

judge selection and term of office:

• 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

subordinate courts:

• 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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Godfrey C. XUEREB (since 19 April 2023)

chancery:

2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (771) 213-4050

FAX:

[1] (202) 530-9753​

email address and website:

[email protected]; The Embassy (gov.mt)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Somers FARKAS (since 26 November 2025)

embassy:

Ta' Qali National Park, Attard, ATD 4000

mailing address:

5800 Valletta Place, Washington DC 20521-5800

telephone:

[356] 2561-4000

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://mt.usembassy.gov/

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

title:

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

lyrics/music:

Dun Karm PSAILA/Robert SAMMUT

history:

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

total World Heritage Sites:

3 (all cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• 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

agriculture:

0.2% (2024 est.)

industry:

11.4% (2024 est.)

services:

80.8% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

7.8% (2024 est.)

male:

9.6% (2024 est.)

female:

5.7% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

2.7% (2022 est.)

highest 10%:

27.7% (2022 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

8.4 metric tons (2021 est.)

imports:

3.9 metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption:

444.715 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

444.715 million cubic meters (2023 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)

total ports:

2 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

1

small:

1

very small:

0

ports with oil terminals:

0

key ports:

Marsaxlokk, Valletta Harbors

refugees:

9,284 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

171 (2024 est.)