Malta has a GDP of $25B compared to $313B for Portugal, ranking 119/197 and 46/197 by economy size, respectively.
Malta has $12.1B in government debt (50% of GDP), compared to $297B (87.9% of GDP) in Portugal.
The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.
| Year | GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Malta
|
Portugal
|
|||
| Current $ | Constant $ | Current $ | Constant $ | |
| 1960 | - | - | $3,339,150,158 | $36,024,041,106 |
| 1961 | - | - | $3,573,719,085 | $38,017,937,010 |
| 1962 | - | - | $3,835,883,663 | $40,532,613,596 |
| 1963 | - | - | $4,084,251,593 | $42,913,378,578 |
| 1964 | - | - | $4,429,202,657 | $45,621,533,494 |
| 1965 | - | - | $4,901,711,248 | $49,029,000,598 |
| 1966 | - | - | $5,370,108,031 | $51,028,358,838 |
| 1967 | - | - | $6,002,607,030 | $54,878,184,456 |
| 1968 | - | - | $6,644,693,214 | $59,748,902,784 |
| 1969 | - | - | $7,287,555,035 | $61,016,022,359 |
| 1970 | $250,728,796 | $948,276,539 | $8,108,235,704 | $66,576,926,207 |
| 1971 | $264,578,485 | $971,547,185 | $9,201,604,240 | $70,992,076,013 |
| 1972 | $295,106,628 | $1,028,269,286 | $11,239,117,865 | $76,682,585,127 |
| 1973 | $345,616,106 | $1,070,902,754 | $15,090,564,186 | $85,271,549,892 |
| 1974 | $376,081,124 | $1,178,382,880 | $17,512,391,476 | $86,246,084,032 |
| 1975 | $474,618,321 | $1,408,875,524 | $19,347,607,843 | $82,496,423,036 |
| 1976 | $527,936,989 | $1,648,625,134 | $20,332,831,565 | $88,188,866,127 |
| 1977 | $625,563,171 | $1,849,496,420 | $21,439,523,311 | $93,129,733,594 |
| 1978 | $793,673,402 | $2,055,921,641 | $23,487,614,051 | $95,752,235,291 |
| 1979 | $1,001,288,847 | $2,271,603,717 | $26,622,819,672 | $101,151,643,831 |
| 1980 | $1,250,198,601 | $2,431,745,219 | $32,896,519,824 | $105,793,836,908 |
| 1981 | $1,243,509,394 | $2,512,278,835 | $31,977,276,873 | $107,505,690,555 |
| 1982 | $1,234,474,404 | $2,569,670,647 | $30,527,754,793 | $109,801,339,943 |
| 1983 | $1,165,729,707 | $2,553,934,238 | $27,239,650,742 | $109,611,260,055 |
| 1984 | $1,101,807,023 | $2,578,001,772 | $25,217,969,050 | $107,550,590,438 |
| 1985 | $1,117,797,439 | $2,644,650,327 | $27,115,807,742 | $110,570,008,320 |
| 1986 | $1,435,038,441 | $2,747,400,018 | $38,745,901,354 | $115,148,663,808 |
| 1987 | $1,751,293,461 | $2,860,332,292 | $48,182,925,857 | $122,496,753,631 |
| 1988 | $2,019,503,068 | $3,101,007,410 | $56,347,250,696 | $131,670,667,027 |
| 1989 | $2,118,655,677 | $3,354,642,080 | $60,594,092,182 | $140,151,100,101 |
| 1990 | $2,547,328,748 | $3,565,695,729 | $78,713,860,217 | $145,687,801,786 |
| 1991 | $2,750,216,747 | $3,788,783,235 | $89,233,599,278 | $152,051,745,328 |
| 1992 | $3,021,942,759 | $3,966,512,487 | $107,592,098,307 | $153,708,313,967 |
| 1993 | $2,709,193,538 | $4,144,241,960 | $95,009,751,901 | $150,567,626,889 |
| 1994 | $2,998,505,428 | $4,378,437,387 | $99,688,641,304 | $152,020,360,998 |
| 1995 | $3,709,396,045 | $4,656,139,454 | $118,122,007,430 | $158,531,058,877 |
| 1996 | $3,822,547,197 | $4,832,017,470 | $122,630,089,680 | $164,086,378,008 |
| 1997 | $3,787,023,707 | $5,086,035,707 | $117,016,535,163 | $171,307,602,359 |
| 1998 | $4,010,111,688 | $5,346,725,602 | $123,946,327,916 | $179,544,008,822 |
| 1999 | $4,111,857,809 | $5,599,089,765 | $127,470,385,557 | $186,558,035,205 |
| 2000 | $4,036,809,815 | $6,701,061,697 | $118,605,192,877 | $193,677,420,299 |
| 2001 | $4,070,867,133 | $6,650,321,052 | $121,604,107,165 | $197,441,874,348 |
| 2002 | $4,455,127,414 | $6,832,615,340 | $134,795,565,549 | $198,964,002,686 |
| 2003 | $5,418,315,224 | $7,084,965,037 | $165,226,175,537 | $197,112,600,769 |
| 2004 | $6,104,141,520 | $7,113,825,959 | $189,382,122,532 | $200,638,423,891 |
| 2005 | $6,393,234,993 | $7,318,792,019 | $197,253,876,705 | $202,207,110,531 |
| 2006 | $6,749,838,806 | $7,489,772,866 | $208,756,449,276 | $205,493,047,516 |
| 2007 | $7,908,412,306 | $7,866,987,912 | $240,496,147,317 | $210,643,893,867 |
| 2008 | $9,135,419,465 | $8,213,969,014 | $263,416,394,624 | $211,316,368,905 |
| 2009 | $8,734,745,698 | $8,099,363,633 | $244,667,762,836 | $204,718,906,459 |
| 2010 | $9,097,044,159 | $8,601,309,579 | $238,443,864,993 | $208,276,152,408 |
| 2011 | $9,789,361,703 | $8,686,651,937 | $245,426,767,676 | $204,707,283,346 |
| 2012 | $9,609,532,089 | $9,042,950,074 | $216,536,676,772 | $196,414,790,526 |
| 2013 | $10,796,782,636 | $9,611,962,674 | $226,677,408,292 | $194,481,859,660 |
| 2014 | $11,888,032,874 | $10,345,486,496 | $230,078,616,300 | $195,923,731,482 |
| 2015 | $11,340,795,042 | $11,340,795,042 | $199,038,523,120 | $199,038,523,120 |
| 2016 | $12,025,782,834 | $11,803,273,068 | $206,305,431,242 | $203,027,536,358 |
| 2017 | $14,161,366,724 | $13,334,316,043 | $220,862,990,767 | $209,757,330,877 |
| 2018 | $16,153,779,511 | $14,292,948,665 | $242,092,894,543 | $215,937,376,369 |
| 2019 | $16,337,793,531 | $14,876,823,596 | $240,115,970,063 | $221,866,335,067 |
| 2020 | $16,404,663,226 | $14,362,489,738 | $229,618,773,423 | $203,663,019,645 |
| 2021 | $19,739,875,611 | $16,288,744,391 | $256,055,879,091 | $214,984,151,438 |
| 2022 | $18,928,276,162 | $16,693,210,193 | $256,898,677,175 | $230,002,603,240 |
| 2023 | $22,610,561,526 | $18,466,282,603 | $292,323,800,949 | $237,132,635,847 |
| 2024 | $24,971,574,502 | $19,721,971,908 | $313,271,185,085 | $242,206,495,918 |
Economic indicators
|
Malta
|
Portugal
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$25B
2024 |
$313B
2024 |
| GDP rank |
119/197
2024 |
46/197
2024 |
| GDP growth |
10.4%
2023-2024 |
7.17%
2023-2024 |
| GDP per capita |
$43,899
2024 |
$29,292
2024 |
| GDP per capita rank |
28/197
2024 |
44/197
2024 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$69,832
2024 |
$50,650
2024 |
| Government debt |
$12.1B
2024 |
$297B
2024 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
50%
2026 |
87.9%
2026 |
| Government debt per person |
$21,328
2024 |
$27,806
2024 |
| Government debt per person rank |
30/185
2024 |
26/185
2024 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$21,451
2026 |
$15,657
2026 |
| Market capitalization of domestic companies |
$4.29B
2024 |
$61.9B
2018 |
| Number of millionaires | n/a |
171,797
2024 |
| Number of billionaires | n/a |
1
2025 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
27.7%
2022 |
26.9%
2023 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
2.7%
2022 |
2.7%
2023 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
35.7%
2026 |
43.8%
2026 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
1.65%
2023-2024 |
2.42%
2023-2024 |
| Unemployment rate |
3.12%
2024 |
6.43%
2024 |
| Population |
578778
|
10663982
|
GDP per capita in Malta vs Portugal
Malta's GDP per capita is $43,899, ranking 28/197, compared to $29,292 in Portugal, ranking 44/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Malta ranks 25th at $69,832, while Portugal ranks 42nd at $50,650.
| Year | Current $ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Malta
|
Portugal
|
|||
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1960 | - | - | $377 | - |
| 1961 | - | - | $400 | - |
| 1962 | - | - | $426 | - |
| 1963 | - | - | $452 | - |
| 1964 | - | - | $490 | - |
| 1965 | - | - | $545 | - |
| 1966 | - | - | $601 | - |
| 1967 | - | - | $676 | - |
| 1968 | - | - | $752 | - |
| 1969 | - | - | $832 | - |
| 1970 | $828 | - | $934 | - |
| 1971 | $874 | - | $1,065 | - |
| 1972 | $976 | - | $1,302 | - |
| 1973 | $1,144 | - | $1,748 | - |
| 1974 | $1,245 | - | $2,000 | - |
| 1975 | $1,560 | - | $2,128 | - |
| 1976 | $1,727 | - | $2,173 | - |
| 1977 | $2,038 | - | $2,267 | - |
| 1978 | $2,559 | - | $2,457 | - |
| 1979 | $3,196 | - | $2,756 | - |
| 1980 | $3,948 | - | $3,368 | - |
| 1981 | $3,898 | - | $3,246 | - |
| 1982 | $3,788 | - | $3,080 | - |
| 1983 | $3,527 | - | $2,735 | - |
| 1984 | $3,333 | - | $2,523 | - |
| 1985 | $3,322 | - | $2,705 | - |
| 1986 | $4,195 | - | $3,862 | - |
| 1987 | $5,084 | - | $4,804 | - |
| 1988 | $5,814 | - | $5,624 | - |
| 1989 | $6,041 | - | $6,056 | - |
| 1990 | $7,192 | $10,079 | $7,885 | $11,772 |
| 1991 | $7,559 | $10,777 | $8,959 | $12,731 |
| 1992 | $8,220 | $11,421 | $10,811 | $13,173 |
| 1993 | $7,296 | $12,095 | $9,535 | $13,194 |
| 1994 | $8,000 | $12,929 | $9,977 | $13,569 |
| 1995 | $9,828 | $13,940 | $11,781 | $14,397 |
| 1996 | $10,062 | $14,656 | $12,185 | $14,916 |
| 1997 | $9,893 | $15,462 | $11,576 | $15,786 |
| 1998 | $10,408 | $16,218 | $12,199 | $16,687 |
| 1999 | $10,609 | $16,898 | $12,475 | $17,718 |
| 2000 | $10,348 | $18,211 | $11,526 | $18,879 |
| 2001 | $10,358 | $18,437 | $11,735 | $19,531 |
| 2002 | $11,251 | $19,532 | $12,937 | $20,357 |
| 2003 | $13,594 | $20,815 | $15,798 | $20,852 |
| 2004 | $15,212 | $21,569 | $18,064 | $21,478 |
| 2005 | $15,831 | $22,227 | $18,780 | $22,725 |
| 2006 | $16,654 | $23,224 | $19,839 | $24,683 |
| 2007 | $19,444 | $25,013 | $22,811 | $25,739 |
| 2008 | $22,315 | $26,654 | $24,949 | $26,666 |
| 2009 | $21,176 | $26,768 | $23,151 | $26,458 |
| 2010 | $21,947 | $28,912 | $22,552 | $27,295 |
| 2011 | $23,517 | $29,426 | $23,247 | $26,803 |
| 2012 | $22,878 | $30,716 | $20,593 | $26,476 |
| 2013 | $25,416 | $33,138 | $21,676 | $27,966 |
| 2014 | $27,425 | $35,206 | $22,121 | $28,765 |
| 2015 | $25,530 | $38,379 | $19,216 | $29,616 |
| 2016 | $26,459 | $40,999 | $19,980 | $31,589 |
| 2017 | $30,317 | $45,763 | $21,442 | $32,971 |
| 2018 | $33,382 | $48,177 | $23,541 | $34,897 |
| 2019 | $32,422 | $51,392 | $23,343 | $37,866 |
| 2020 | $31,823 | $49,972 | $22,299 | $35,967 |
| 2021 | $38,097 | $56,852 | $24,711 | $38,658 |
| 2022 | $35,639 | $59,512 | $24,621 | $44,557 |
| 2023 | $40,906 | $64,220 | $27,635 | $47,426 |
| 2024 | $43,899 | $69,832 | $29,292 | $50,650 |
Spending and national debt comparison
In 2024, Malta's government spending was $9.28B, accounting for 35.7% of its GDP, while Portugal's spent $134B, or 43.8% of GDP.
Debt-to-GDP ratio is 50% in Malta and 87.9% in Portugal, ranking 111/185 and 32/185, respectively.
| Year | % of GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Malta
|
Portugal
|
|||
| Government spending | Government debt | Government spending | Government debt | |
| 1960 | - | - | 14.3% | 16.4% |
| 1961 | - | - | 14.6% | 17.1% |
| 1962 | - | - | 14.5% | 18.7% |
| 1963 | - | - | 14.6% | 20.8% |
| 1964 | - | - | 13.9% | 21.9% |
| 1965 | - | - | 13.4% | 20.4% |
| 1966 | - | - | 14.4% | 20.2% |
| 1967 | - | - | 14.1% | 18.5% |
| 1968 | - | - | 14.3% | 17.2% |
| 1969 | - | - | 14.9% | 16.8% |
| 1970 | - | - | 15.5% | 16.5% |
| 1971 | - | - | 15.5% | 15.7% |
| 1972 | - | - | 22.8% | 14.5% |
| 1973 | - | - | 25.7% | 13.6% |
| 1974 | - | - | 25.8% | 13.5% |
| 1975 | - | - | 31.9% | 19.2% |
| 1976 | - | - | 38.2% | 24.5% |
| 1977 | - | - | 35.1% | 26.9% |
| 1978 | - | - | 31.7% | 31.4% |
| 1979 | - | - | 30.8% | 35.2% |
| 1980 | - | - | 32.4% | 31% |
| 1981 | - | - | 35.3% | 39.3% |
| 1982 | - | - | 35.8% | 43% |
| 1983 | - | - | 34.7% | 46.7% |
| 1984 | - | - | 34.6% | 51.3% |
| 1985 | - | - | 37.5% | 59.4% |
| 1986 | - | - | 38.9% | 59.8% |
| 1987 | - | - | 37.5% | 57.2% |
| 1988 | - | - | 36.2% | 56.8% |
| 1989 | - | - | 36.2% | 55.4% |
| 1990 | - | - | 42.2% | 60.2% |
| 1991 | - | - | 45.9% | 63.9% |
| 1992 | - | - | 48.2% | 58.1% |
| 1993 | - | - | 46.5% | 57.2% |
| 1994 | - | - | 42.8% | 60.4% |
| 1995 | - | 45.3% | 42.6% | 62.2% |
| 1996 | - | 51.5% | 43% | 63.3% |
| 1997 | - | 60.8% | 42.4% | 58.7% |
| 1998 | - | 66.4% | 42.6% | 55.6% |
| 1999 | - | 69.8% | 42.5% | 55.4% |
| 2000 | 42.9% | 64.4% | 42.8% | 54.2% |
| 2001 | 44.4% | 70% | 44.1% | 57.4% |
| 2002 | 43.6% | 65.1% | 44.2% | 60% |
| 2003 | 45.6% | 68.6% | 45.3% | 63.9% |
| 2004 | 42% | 70.4% | 46% | 67.1% |
| 2005 | 42.5% | 70.2% | 46.7% | 72.2% |
| 2006 | 42.5% | 64.5% | 45.2% | 73.7% |
| 2007 | 41.2% | 62% | 44.5% | 72.7% |
| 2008 | 42.1% | 61.5% | 45.3% | 75.6% |
| 2009 | 41.1% | 66% | 50.2% | 87.8% |
| 2010 | 40.1% | 65% | 51.8% | 100.1% |
| 2011 | 41.5% | 68.9% | 50% | 114% |
| 2012 | 41.7% | 65.6% | 48.8% | 128.6% |
| 2013 | 40.1% | 64.9% | 49.9% | 130.8% |
| 2014 | 39.6% | 60.7% | 51.6% | 132.5% |
| 2015 | 37.8% | 55% | 48.2% | 131% |
| 2016 | 35.5% | 53.1% | 44.9% | 131.2% |
| 2017 | 32.7% | 45.6% | 45.5% | 126% |
| 2018 | 34.5% | 41.4% | 43.3% | 121.1% |
| 2019 | 34.9% | 39.2% | 42.4% | 116.1% |
| 2020 | 42.1% | 48.6% | 49.1% | 134.1% |
| 2021 | 39.5% | 49.6% | 47.4% | 123.9% |
| 2022 | 37.7% | 49.3% | 43.8% | 111.2% |
| 2023 | 36.5% | 47.7% | 42% | 97.7% |
| 2024 | 37.2% | 48.6% | 42.8% | 94.9% |
| 2025 | 36.3% | 49.3% | 43.7% | 91.8% |
| 2026 | 35.7% | 50% | 43.8% | 87.9% |
Government deficit by year
In 2024, Malta's government deficit, the difference between spending and revenue, was -$947M, equivalent to -3.79% of GDP. This compares to Portugal's surplus of $2.19B, or 0.7% of GDP.
Over the past 25 years, Malta recorded a fiscal deficit in 21 of those years, while Portugal ran a deficit in 22 years. On average, Malta posted an annual deficit equal to -3.24% of GDP, compared to deficit of -4.18% of GDP for Portugal.
| Year | Deficit/surplus, % of GDP | |
|---|---|---|
|
Malta
|
Portugal
|
|
| 1880 | - | -1.63% |
| 1881 | - | -1.2% |
| 1882 | - | -0.39% |
| 1883 | - | -1.1% |
| 1884 | - | -1.48% |
| 1885 | - | -1.68% |
| 1886 | - | -1.43% |
| 1887 | - | -0.67% |
| 1888 | - | -2.14% |
| 1889 | - | -1.95% |
| 1890 | - | -2.01% |
| 1891 | - | -2.15% |
| 1892 | - | -0.8% |
| 1893 | - | -0.02% |
| 1894 | - | -0.16% |
| 1895 | - | -0.2% |
| 1896 | - | -1.35% |
| 1897 | - | -0.93% |
| 1898 | - | -0.5% |
| 1899 | - | -0.77% |
| 1900 | - | -0.35% |
| 1901 | - | -0.69% |
| 1902 | - | -0.5% |
| 1903 | - | -0.91% |
| 1904 | - | -0.26% |
| 1905 | - | -0.75% |
| 1906 | - | -0.45% |
| 1907 | - | -0.69% |
| 1908 | - | -0.56% |
| 1909 | - | -0.82% |
| 1910 | - | -0.19% |
| 1911 | - | -0.73% |
| 1912 | - | -0.02% |
| 1913 | - | -0.34% |
| 1914 | - | -0.34% |
| 1915 | - | -0.34% |
| 1916 | - | -0.34% |
| 1917 | - | -5.49% |
| 1918 | - | -8.3% |
| 1919 | - | -8.83% |
| 1920 | - | -5.66% |
| 1921 | - | -6.5% |
| 1922 | - | -10% |
| 1923 | - | -3.47% |
| 1924 | - | -3.16% |
| 1925 | - | -1.48% |
| 1926 | - | -4.21% |
| 1927 | - | -2.27% |
| 1928 | - | 0.2% |
| 1929 | - | 1.86% |
| 1930 | - | 0.79% |
| 1931 | - | 0.04% |
| 1932 | - | -0.03% |
| 1933 | - | -0.07% |
| 1934 | - | 0.6% |
| 1935 | - | 0.75% |
| 1936 | - | 0.08% |
| 1937 | - | -0.09% |
| 1938 | - | -0.08% |
| 1939 | - | -0.73% |
| 1940 | - | -1.74% |
| 1941 | - | -0.08% |
| 1942 | - | -0.35% |
| 1943 | - | 0.03% |
| 1944 | - | -1.44% |
| 1945 | - | -2.38% |
| 1946 | - | -2.32% |
| 1947 | - | -1.65% |
| 1948 | - | -2.04% |
| 1949 | - | -0.46% |
| 1950 | - | -0.83% |
| 1951 | - | 0.94% |
| 1952 | - | -0.34% |
| 1953 | - | -0.35% |
| 1954 | - | -0.58% |
| 1955 | - | -0.31% |
| 1956 | - | -0.18% |
| 1957 | - | 0.08% |
| 1958 | - | -0.52% |
| 1959 | - | -1.73% |
| 1960 | - | -3.13% |
| 1961 | - | -3.17% |
| 1962 | - | -1.69% |
| 1963 | - | -3.33% |
| 1964 | - | -1.93% |
| 1965 | - | -0.03% |
| 1966 | - | -2% |
| 1967 | - | -0.46% |
| 1968 | - | -1.24% |
| 1969 | - | -1.53% |
| 1970 | - | -0.24% |
| 1971 | - | -0.23% |
| 1972 | - | -7.72% |
| 1973 | - | -5.39% |
| 1974 | - | -3.2% |
| 1975 | - | -7.1% |
| 1976 | - | -10.2% |
| 1977 | - | -7.5% |
| 1978 | - | -7.15% |
| 1979 | - | -6.08% |
| 1980 | - | -6.92% |
| 1981 | - | -8.34% |
| 1982 | - | -7.02% |
| 1983 | - | -4.86% |
| 1984 | - | -5.23% |
| 1985 | - | -8.35% |
| 1986 | - | -7.45% |
| 1987 | - | -6.79% |
| 1988 | - | -3.52% |
| 1989 | - | -2.86% |
| 1990 | - | -6.82% |
| 1991 | - | -7.93% |
| 1992 | - | -5.19% |
| 1993 | - | -8.06% |
| 1994 | - | -7.37% |
| 1995 | - | -5.14% |
| 1996 | - | -4.63% |
| 1997 | - | -3.65% |
| 1998 | - | -4.3% |
| 1999 | - | -2.99% |
| 2000 | -5.83% | -3.4% |
| 2001 | -6.5% | -4.78% |
| 2002 | -5.62% | -3.78% |
| 2003 | -9.04% | -5.62% |
| 2004 | -4.28% | -5.97% |
| 2005 | -2.83% | -6.11% |
| 2006 | -2.46% | -4.09% |
| 2007 | -2.05% | -2.94% |
| 2008 | -4.06% | -3.7% |
| 2009 | -3.11% | -9.87% |
| 2010 | -2.22% | -11.4% |
| 2011 | -2.99% | -7.65% |
| 2012 | -3.31% | -6.17% |
| 2013 | -2.19% | -5.1% |
| 2014 | -1.49% | -7.3% |
| 2015 | -0.84% | -4.35% |
| 2016 | 1.1% | -1.94% |
| 2017 | 3.4% | -2.96% |
| 2018 | 1.86% | -0.35% |
| 2019 | 0.72% | 0.08% |
| 2020 | -8.72% | -5.81% |
| 2021 | -6.96% | -2.87% |
| 2022 | -5.22% | -0.32% |
| 2023 | -4.58% | 1.19% |
| 2024 | -3.79% | 0.7% |
| 2025 | -3.35% | 0.52% |
| 2026 | -3.2% | 0.11% |
Inflation comparison by year
Over the past 28 years, Malta has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 2.21%, compared with 2.17% in Portugal. In 2024, inflation was 1.65% in Malta and 2.42% in Portugal.
| Year | Inflation | |
|---|---|---|
|
Malta
|
Portugal
|
|
| 1997 | 3.11% | 2.34% |
| 1998 | 2.39% | 2.57% |
| 1999 | 2.13% | 2.34% |
| 2000 | 2.37% | 2.85% |
| 2001 | 2.93% | 4.37% |
| 2002 | 2.19% | 3.6% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | 3.22% |
| 2004 | 2.79% | 2.37% |
| 2005 | 3.01% | 2.28% |
| 2006 | 2.77% | 3.11% |
| 2007 | 1.25% | 2.45% |
| 2008 | 4.26% | 2.59% |
| 2009 | 2.08% | -0.84% |
| 2010 | 1.52% | 1.4% |
| 2011 | 2.96% | 3.65% |
| 2012 | 2.38% | 2.77% |
| 2013 | 1.18% | 0.27% |
| 2014 | 0.31% | -0.28% |
| 2015 | 1.1% | 0.49% |
| 2016 | 0.64% | 0.61% |
| 2017 | 1.36% | 1.37% |
| 2018 | 1.16% | 0.99% |
| 2019 | 1.64% | 0.34% |
| 2020 | 0.64% | -0.01% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | 1.27% |
| 2022 | 6.15% | 7.83% |
| 2023 | 5.09% | 4.31% |
| 2024 | 1.65% | 2.42% |
Top exports between countries
|
Malta
|
|
|---|---|
| Export category | Export value |
| Transport & tourism services | $72.6M |
| Business & finance services | $42.6M |
| Chemicals & pharma | $23.9M |
| IT & IP services | $10.9M |
| Machinery & equipment | $4.3M |
| Manufacturing & construction services | $2.13M |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $925K |
| Government & miscellaneous services | $710K |
| Wood & paper products | $233K |
| Precious metals & jewellery | $119K |
|
Portugal
|
|
|---|---|
| Export category | Export value |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $15.3M |
| Machinery & equipment | $15M |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $7.93M |
| Chemicals & pharma | $7.47M |
| Metals | $2.56M |
| Wood & paper products | $2.34M |
| Transport & tourism services | $2.16M |
| Animal & marine products | $1.66M |
| Raw agricultural goods | $720K |
| Raw materials & minerals | $502K |
Balance of trade
|
Malta
|
Portugal
|
|
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
$1.78B
2024 |
$6.51B
2024 |
| Current account balance ranking |
47/190
2024 |
28/190
2024 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
+7.12%
2024 |
+2.08%
2024 |
| Goods imports |
$7.56B
2024 |
$109B
2024 |
| Goods exports |
$4.58B
2024 |
$81.4B
2024 |
| Service imports |
$17.4B
2024 |
$27.9B
2024 |
| Service exports |
$25B
2024 |
$62.7B
2024 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
99.7%
2024 |
43.9%
2024 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
118.5%
2024 |
45.8%
2024 |
Economic freedom indices
The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.
|
Malta
|
Portugal
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 66.8 | 70.5 |
| Economic freedom ranking | 54/197 | 31/197 |
| Property rights | 86.2 | 90.1 |
| Government integrity | 55 | 63.9 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 81.5 | 91.3 |
| Tax burden | 70 | 59.8 |
| Government spending | 57.5 | 40.2 |
| Fiscal health | 44.8 | 79.7 |
| Business freedom | 80.7 | 79.6 |
| Labor freedom | 65.2 | 57.1 |
| Monetary freedom | 70.5 | 75.1 |
| Trade freedom | 79.6 | 79.6 |
| Investment freedom | 60 | 70 |
| Financial freedom | 50 | 60 |
Economic freedom by year comparison
The Economic Freedom Index for Malta is 66.8, ranking 54/197, compared to 70.5 for Portugal, ranking 31/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.
| Year | Economic freedom index | |
|---|---|---|
|
Malta
|
Portugal
|
|
| 1995 | 56.3 | 62.4 |
| 1996 | 55.8 | 64.5 |
| 1997 | 57.9 | 63.6 |
| 1998 | 61.2 | 65 |
| 1999 | 59.3 | 65.6 |
| 2000 | 58.3 | 65.5 |
| 2001 | 62.9 | 66 |
| 2002 | 62.2 | 65.4 |
| 2003 | 61.1 | 64.9 |
| 2004 | 63.3 | 64.9 |
| 2005 | 68.9 | 62.4 |
| 2006 | 67.3 | 62.9 |
| 2007 | 66.1 | 64 |
| 2008 | 66 | 63.9 |
| 2009 | 66.1 | 64.9 |
| 2010 | 67.2 | 64.4 |
| 2011 | 65.7 | 64 |
| 2012 | 67 | 63 |
| 2013 | 67.5 | 63.1 |
| 2014 | 66.4 | 63.5 |
| 2015 | 66.5 | 65.3 |
| 2016 | 66.7 | 65.1 |
| 2017 | 67.7 | 62.6 |
| 2018 | 68.5 | 63.4 |
| 2019 | 68.6 | 65.3 |
| 2020 | 69.5 | 67 |
| 2021 | 70.2 | 67.5 |
| 2022 | 71.5 | 70.8 |
| 2023 | 67.5 | 69.5 |
| 2024 | 64.5 | 68.7 |
| 2025 | 66.8 | 70.5 |
More economic indicators
|
Malta
|
Portugal
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
81.8%
2024 |
66.3%
2024 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
10.7%
2024 |
18.7%
2024 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
0.23%
2024 |
2.02%
2024 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$20.9B
2024 |
$288B
2024 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$61,320
2024 |
$49,720
2024 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$1.42B
2024 |
$42.4B
2024 |
| Total reserves ranking |
137/177
2024 |
48/177
2024 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$6.13B
2024 |
-$6.64B
2024 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$42.6B
2024 |
$13.5B
2024 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$36.5B
2024 |
$6.84B
2024 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
16.7%
2021 |
16.4%
2021 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
19%
2024 |
20.4%
2024 |
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
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Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.