Malta: poverty, inequality and aid
Extreme poverty is 0.4% (2023), 113th of 151 in the world and 11th of 13 in the Middle East & North Africa. Poverty, $4.20/day is 0.9% (2023), 110th of 151 in the world and 11th of 13 in the Middle East & North Africa. Poverty, $8.30/day is 1.1% (2023), 130th of 151 in the world and 11th of 13 in the Middle East & North Africa.
Aid, poverty & equality: Malta in detail
Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.
| Indicator | Latest | World rank | In region | ~2000 | ~2010 | ~2020 | 10-year change | Region | Income group | World | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extreme povertyExtreme poverty, $3.00 a day (2021 PPP), % of population | 0.4%2023 | 113/151 | 11/13 | · | 0.3% | 0.4% | +0.4 ppsince 2013 | 14.3% | 0.6% | 10.1% | |
| Poverty, $4.20/dayPoverty at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP), % of population | 0.9%2023 | 110/151 | 11/13 | · | 0.3% | 0.7% | +0.8 ppsince 2013 | 26.8% | 0.7% | 18.2% | |
| Poverty, $8.30/dayPoverty at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP), % of population | 1.1%2023 | 130/151 | 11/13 | · | 0.6% | 1.0% | +0.8 ppsince 2013 | 59.0% | 1.7% | 46.2% | |
| National poverty ratePoverty at national poverty lines, % of population | 16.7%2021 | 98/145 | 7/10 | · | 15.6% | 16.9% | +1.6 ppsince 2011 | — | — | — | |
| Gini indexGini index of income inequality | 31.82023 | 108/151 | 9/13 | · | 29.0 | 31.4 | +10%since 2013 | — | — | — | |
| Top 10% income shareIncome share held by the richest 10% | 24.7%2023 | 105/151 | 9/13 | · | 22.7% | 25.1% | +1.5 ppsince 2013 | — | — | — | |
| Bottom 20% income shareIncome share held by the poorest 20% | 7.6%2023 | 58/151 | 7/13 | · | 8.4% | 8.0% | −1.0 ppsince 2013 | — | — | — | |
| UndernourishmentPrevalence of undernourishment, % of population | 2.5%2024 | 142/167 | 17/19 | 2.5%2001 | 2.5% | 2.5% | ±0.0 ppsince 2014 | 12.3% | 2.6% | 8.1% | |
| Food insecurityModerate or severe food insecurity, % of population | 9.0%2024 | 120/155 | 13/15 | · | · | 5.2% | — | 40.1% | 7.9% | 28.0% | |
| Account ownershipAccount ownership (bank or mobile money), % of adults | 96.6%2024 | 27/145 | 1/20 | · | 95.3%2011 | 96.4%2021 | +0.2 ppsince 2014 | 52.8% | 94.9% | 78.7% | |
| Women in parliamentSeats held by women in national parliament, % | 29.1%2025 | 82/190 | 2/22 | 9.2% | 8.7% | 13.4% | +16.3 ppsince 2015 | 16.9% | 31.2% | 27.2% |
Better than ten years ago
- Account ownership+0.2 pp96.6% in 2024
- Women in parliament+16.3 pp29.1% in 2025
Worse than ten years ago
- Extreme poverty+0.4 pp0.4% in 2023
- Poverty, $4.20/day+0.8 pp0.9% in 2023
- Poverty, $8.30/day+0.8 pp1.1% in 2023
- National poverty rate+1.6 pp16.7% in 2021
Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).
Malta and its neighbours
Countries sharing a land border with Malta. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.
| Indicator | Malta | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme poverty | 0.4%2023 | 0.9%2023 |
| Poverty, $4.20/day | 0.9%2023 | 1.0%2023 |
| Poverty, $8.30/day | 1.1%2023 | 1.9%2023 |
| National poverty rate | 16.7%2021 | 20.1%2021 |
| Gini index | 31.82023 | 34.32023 |
| Top 10% income share | 24.7%2023 | 25.8%2023 |
| Bottom 20% income share | 7.6%2023 | 6.6%2023 |
| Undernourishment | 2.5%2024 | 2.5%2024 |
| Food insecurity | 9.0%2024 | 1.7%2024 |