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Europe / Southern Europe · Card 032
Flag shown for Malta

Malta

Malta is a country in Southern Europe. Its capital is Valletta.

Find Malta

VallettaMalta
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.

At a glance

Capital
Valletta
Language guide
Languages spoken & official status
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Population
579,7042025 · World Bank
Area
316 km²122.01 square miles
Independence
1964from the UK

Malta in context

Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Valletta; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & environment

Landscape

Malta is a small Mediterranean archipelago dominated by limestone terrain. Low plateaus, valleys and coastal cliffs are more characteristic than high mountains. The main inhabited islands are Malta, Gozo and Comino, with most settlement concentrated on Malta.

Dingli Cliffs form a steep western edge, while other shores contain sheltered harbours and bays. Gozo has a more rural landscape with distinctive flat-topped hills. Permanent surface rivers are absent, making water availability an important geographic constraint.

Climate & seasons

Malta has hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters. The Mediterranean moderates temperatures around the islands.

Dry-season conditions

Summers are hot and dry, with most rain in the cooler months. Thin soils and limited fresh water influence vegetation and farming. Rocky coastal habitats and marine environments are important alongside the densely developed land.

Flag shown for Malta

Flag

Two equal vertical bands of white (left side) and red; in the upper-left corner is the George Cross, edged in red

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Languages

Public and official use

Maltese and English are official languages. Maltese is the national language and has Semitic roots, with substantial Italian and English influence.

Community and regional languages

Maltese uses a Latin-based alphabet. Italian is also widely understood by many residents, and other languages are spoken by migrant communities. It has its own grammar and literary tradition.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

History & independence

Malta became independent from the UK in 1964 through a negotiated constitutional transition. It became a republic in 1974, and the final British forces left in 1979. EU membership followed in 2004.

  1. Malta becomes independent

  2. Malta becomes a republic

  3. Malta joins the European Union

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Economy

Main activities

Tourism, financial and business services, shipping and manufacturing support the economy. Electronics and pharmaceuticals are notable industries. The small island state relies on imports for many goods and energy needs.

Industry and production

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

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Thousands of people
579.72025 · thousands of people
0.00300.0600.0302.61970316.61980354.21990390.12000414.52010515.52020579.72025

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table
Population: source values and plotted units
Year People Thousands of people
1970 302,650 302.650
1980 316,645 316.645
1990 354,170 354.170
2000 390,087 390.087
2010 414,508 414.508
2020 515,490 515.490
2025 579,704 579.704

Real GDP, 1990–2025

Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
20.42025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
0.0015.030.019902000201020202025

Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.

Sources: World Bank · Real GDP

View data table
Real GDP: source values and plotted units
Year Constant 2015 US$ Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
1990 3,565,694,066 3.566
1991 3,788,781,496 3.789
1992 3,966,510,657 3.967
1993 4,144,240,019 4.144
1994 4,378,435,382 4.378
1995 4,656,137,253 4.656
1996 4,832,015,201 4.832
1997 5,086,033,305 5.086
1998 5,346,723,155 5.347
1999 5,599,087,147 5.599
2000 6,701,058,569 6.701
2001 6,650,317,909 6.650
2002 6,832,612,103 6.833
2003 7,084,961,695 7.085
2004 7,113,822,599 7.114
2005 7,318,788,654 7.319
2006 7,489,769,368 7.490
2007 7,866,984,246 7.867
2008 8,213,965,209 8.214
2009 8,099,359,896 8.099
2010 8,601,305,559 8.601
2011 8,686,647,865 8.687
2012 9,042,945,894 9.043
2013 9,611,958,233 9.612
2014 10,345,481,640 10.345
2015 11,340,789,706 11.341
2016 11,803,267,589 11.803
2017 13,334,309,857 13.334
2018 14,292,941,962 14.293
2019 14,876,816,607 14.877
2020 14,362,483,056 14.362
2021 16,280,015,568 16.280
2022 16,702,118,565 16.702
2023 18,478,231,173 18.478
2024 19,626,239,322 19.626
2025 20,403,744,842 20.404

Human development

The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.

HDI · 20230.924Very High human developmentRank 24 of 193 · 2025 report

Human Development Index over time

19900.735
20000.790
20100.867
20200.903
20230.924
83.3 yearsLife expectancy at birth
12.4 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+

The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.

Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025

Government

Parliamentary republic. House of Representatives (Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature).

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Knowledge check

Three questions about Malta.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

Malta gained independence from which country?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.

Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.

VallettaMalta