Southern Europe

Malta Travel Podcast with Nadia Farrugia

Hosted by Nadia Farrugia — a new episode every day from Malta.

This podcast is about living in Malta slowly enough to notice how the island works: the rocky terraces, the winter rains on the coast, the ferries that tie the three inhabited islands together. Travelling here means adjusting to a small archipelago where history is visible in walls and fortified harbours rather than in museums alone.

She covers places beyond the main harbours: Valletta’s grid of streets, the walled city of Mdina, Marsaxlokk’s fishing boats on the south-east coast, and the cliffs at Dingli. Each place is treated as somewhere to return to, not just a stop on a tour.

The show follows a longer rhythm: winter rains on the eastern coast, summer heat on the stone, ferry crossings that change with the season. Nadia returns to the same bays and villages, letting each visit add a layer. Knowing a place properly in Malta means learning its weather, its harbours, and the routes between them.

Listen and subscribe

The basics

Malta at a glance

Capital

Valletta

Population 2025

579,704

Area

316 sq km

Languages

Maltese (official) 90.1%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%

Time zone

UTC+1

Currency

Euros (EUR)

GDP per capita 2025

$47,907

Life expectancy 2024

83.0 years

Urban population 2025

95.7%

Inflation 2025

2.4%

Internet users 2024

93.9%

Government

Parliamentary republic

Country file

Malta in depth

Reference data on the country — geography, people, history, economy and transport.

Geography and climate

Location

Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)

Terrain

Mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs

Climate

Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers

Elevation

Highest point: Ta'Dmejrek on Dingli Cliffs 253 m
Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Area

Total: 316 sq km
Land: 316 sq km
Water: 0 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly less than twice the size of Washington, D.C.

Coastline

196.8 km (excludes 56 km for the island of Gozo)

Land borders

Total 0 km

Natural resources

Limestone, salt, arable land

Land use

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.)

Natural hazards

Occasional droughts

Note

The country is an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors

People and society

Population

Total: 521,828 (2025 est.)
Male: 271,180
Female: 250,648

Nationality

Noun: Maltese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Maltese

Ethnic groups

Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)

Languages

Maltese (official) 90.1%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.9% (2005 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic (official) more than 90% (2006 est.)

Median age

Total: 42.1 years (2025 est.)
Male: 42.4 years
Female: 44.7 years

Life expectancy

Total population: 83.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 81.5 years
Female: 85.8 years

Urbanisation

Urban population: 94.9% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

Most of the population lives on the eastern half of Malta, the largest of the three inhabited islands

Largest cities

213,000 VALLETTA (capital) (2018)

Background and government

Background

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.

Government

Parliamentary republic

Capital

Valletta

Time zone

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

Local name

Repubblika ta' Malta

Independence

21 September 1964 (from the UK)

National day

Independence Day, 21 September (1964); Republic Day, 13 December (1974)

Economy and cost of living

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

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024: $60,500 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $59,300 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $57,800 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 1.7% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 5.1% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 6.2% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024: 2.8% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 3.2% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 3% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency: Euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 0.924 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 0.925 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 0.95 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 0.845 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 0.876 (2020 est.)

Main industries

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