Photo: Dirk Heldmaier derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 12 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Malta: Mobility & Trade
How connected is a country to the rest of the world?
Malta is placed 19th of 177 countries on mobility & trade in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Liner Shipping Connectivity Index 114.6 (2025); Container Import Dwell Time 2.9 (2024).
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Mobility & Trade
19th
of 177 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Malta on mobility & trade — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Liner Shipping Connectivity Index
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
114.6
LSCI (index, average Q1 2023 = 100)
Higher is better
Ranked 48th of 177 by UNCTAD
Malta: 114.6. Across the 168 countries in this edition, values run from 4.13 (Turks and Caicos Islands) to 1,313 (China); the world median is 60.84.
- World median
- 60.84
- Best in Southern Europe
- 420.11 Spain
2.9
Median days a full import container waits in port
Lower is better
Malta: 2.9. Across the 156 countries in this edition, values run from 1 (Gibraltar) to 21.6 (Haiti); the world median is 4.4.
- World median
- 4.4
- Best in Southern Europe
- 1 Gibraltar
3.3
LPI score (1–5)
Higher is better
Ranked 43rd of 139 by World Bank Group
Malta: 3.3. Across the 139 countries in this edition, values run from 1.9 (Afghanistan) to 4.3 (Singapore); the world median is 2.9.
- World median
- 2.9
- Best in Southern Europe
- 3.9 Spain
Key 4 of 4
ICT Goods Exports
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
24.26
ICT goods exports (% of total goods exports)
Higher is better
Malta: 24.26. Across the 120 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Gambia) to 61.45 (Hong Kong); the world median is 0.975.
- World median
- 0.975
- Best in Southern Europe
- 24.26 Malta
02Over time
Which way Malta is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Liner Shipping Connectivity Index
LSCI (index, average Q1 2023 = 100) · higher is better
MaltaWorld median
Malta rose from 101.66 in 2006 to 117.86 in 2026; the world median went from 52.25 to 56.21.
Every year’s figures
Year Malta World median 2026 117.86 56.21 2025 114.60 60.84 2024 106.44 55.22 2023 135.21 54.78 2022 112.24 51.49 2021 134.66 52.64 2020 113.73 47.86 2019 117.18 51.05 2018 142.90 52.03 2017 143.91 49.87 2016 140.00 48.09 2015 145.06 49.13 2014 127.44 48.08 2013 115.91 51.32 2012 112.32 47.44 2011 114.40 50.26 2010 123.86 50.51 2009 125.78 53.04 2008 127.45 51.68 2007 105.36 55.78 2006 101.66 52.25 Logistics Performance Index
LPI score (1–5) · higher is better
MaltaWorld median
Malta rose from 2.824 in 2010 to 3.3 in 2023; the world median went from 2.746 to 2.9.
Every year’s figures
Year Malta World median 2023 3.30 2.900 2018 2.81 2.706 2016 3.07 2.734 2014 3.11 2.753 2012 3.16 2.773 2010 2.82 2.746 2007 — 2.529 ICT Goods Exports
ICT goods exports (% of total goods exports) · higher is better
MaltaWorld median
Malta fell from 63.64 in 2000 to 24.26 in 2024; the world median went from 0.43 to 0.975.
Every year’s figures
Year Malta World median 2024 24.26 0.975000 2023 29.50 0.690000 2022 25.70 0.565000 2021 16.56 0.550000 2020 20.33 0.680000 2019 13.57 0.625000 2018 15.68 0.480000 2017 12.91 0.630000 2016 8.76 0.865000 2015 9.19 0.790000 2014 8.81 0.760000 2013 14.63 0.645000 2012 19.66 0.630000 2011 9.60 0.535000 2010 2.67 0.560000 2009 2.59 0.780000 2008 2.78 0.595000 2007 2.58 0.660000 2006 2.18 0.445000 2005 3.25 0.570000 2004 2.47 0.535000 2003 3.14 0.530000 2002 26.60 0.510000 2001 59.27 0.490000 2000 63.64 0.430000
03In context
Malta beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 177 countries on mobility & trade, never a place within the region.
Malta and Southern Europe
Malta has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 177; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Liner Shipping Connectivity IndexLSCI (index, average Q1 2023 = 100) | Container Import Dwell TimeMedian days a full import container waits in port | Logistics Performance IndexLPI score (1–5) | ICT Goods ExportsICT goods exports (% of total goods exports) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malta | 19th | 114.6 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 24.26 |
 Greece | 21st | 174.61 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 2.53 |
 Portugal | 28th | 195.02 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
 Italy | 34th | 291.46 | 4 | 3.7 | 2.29 |
 Spain | 35th | 420.11 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 1.56 |
 Slovenia | 51st | 77.33 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 2.18 |
 Croatia | 53rd | 63.18 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 1.57 |
 Serbia | 76th | — | — | 2.8 | 1.85 |
 Gibraltar | 81st | 4.594 | 1 | — | — |
 North Macedonia | 83rd | — | — | 3.1 | 0.65 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 100th | — | — | 3 | 0.33 |
 Montenegro | =101st | 20.08 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 0.71 |
 Albania | =139th | 14.07 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 0.07 |
 Andorra | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Kosovo | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 San Marino | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Vatican City | not placed | — | — | — | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Southern Europe
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 177.
Placed either side on mobility & trade
The countries immediately above and below Malta in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Malta is ahead of the world, and behind
22 more statistics filed under mobility & trade, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median2
Statistics on which Malta does better than the middle country measured.
Freedom of Foreign MovementV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 1.22.2841.2▲ Improved since 2015
Malta: 2.284 · world median 1.2 · Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +2.9); higher = freer movement. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.642 to 2.727; higher is better.
Position 17th of 176 · derived.
Average Time to Clear Exports Through CustomsWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 4.4563.5354.456No earlier reading
Malta: 3.535 · world median 4.456 · Average time to clear exports through customs (days). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 27.46; lower is better.
Position 109th of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end20
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Services ExportsUNCTAD · 2025 · world median 9.602104.949.602No real change since 2015
Malta: 104.94 · world median 9.602 · Services exports (% of GDP). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.085 to 166.21.
Foreign Value Added Share of Gross ExportsOECD · 2022 · world median 27.4151.4627.41Moved since 2012
Malta: 51.46 · world median 27.41 · Foreign value added (% of gross exports). OECD, 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 4.491 to 66.08.
Exports of Goods and Services (% of GDP)World Bank Group · 2025 · world median 36.34119.1136.34No real change since 2015
Malta: 119.11 · world median 36.34 · Exports of goods and services (% of GDP). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.103 to 199.76.
Position 5th of 138 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Trade (% of GDP)World Bank Group · 2025 · world median 79.68219.0179.68No real change since 2015
Malta: 219.01 · world median 79.68 · Exports plus imports (% of GDP). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.382 to 396.65.
Position 5th of 138 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Imports of Goods and Services (% of GDP)World Bank Group · 2025 · world median 41.7299.941.72No real change since 2015
Malta: 99.9 · world median 41.72 · Imports of goods and services (% of GDP). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.279 to 196.89.
Position 6th of 138 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Cereal Import Dependency RatioFAO · 2022 · world median 42.810042.8Moved since 2012
Malta: 100 · world median 42.8 · Share of the cereal supply that is imported (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from -1,894 to 100.
Net Migration RateUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median -0.13312.37-0.133Moved since 2013
Malta: 12.37 · world median -0.133 · Net migrants per 1,000 population. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from -61.68 to 39.62.
Creative Goods ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 1.2354.6381.235Moved since 2014
Malta: 4.638 · world median 1.235 · Creative goods exports (% of merchandise exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 37.23.
International Migrants as a Share of PopulationUN DESA Population Division · 2024 · world median 6.08936.976.089Moved since 2015
Malta: 36.97 · world median 6.089 · International migrants (% of population). UN DESA Population Division, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.02 to 100.
Merchant Fleet by Country of OwnershipUNCTAD · 2026 · world median 275.734,109275.73Moved since 2016
Malta: 4,109 · world median 275.73 · Merchant fleet owned (thousand dead-weight tons). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 397,071.
Container Port TrafficUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 1,827,7882,967,9241,827,788Moved since 2014
Malta: 2,967,924 · world median 1,827,788 · Container port traffic (TEU, twenty-foot equivalent units). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 17,263 to 299,703,800.
Position 44th of 103 · derived, counted from the highest value.
International MigrantsUN DESA Population Division · 2024 · world median 223,323199,466223,323Moved since 2015
Malta: 199,466 · world median 223,323 · International migrants living in the country, mid-year (people). UN DESA Population Division, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 246 to 52,375,047.
Outbound Mobility Ratio, TertiaryUIS · 2023 · world median 5.2795.035.279Moved since 2013
Malta: 5.03 · world median 5.279 · Outbound mobility ratio, tertiary (% of tertiary enrolment at home). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.333 to 1,724.
Asylum-Seekers by Country of AsylumUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 1,8361,3901,836Moved since 2015
Malta: 1,390 · world median 1,836 · Asylum-seekers awaiting a decision, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 3,718,945.
Refugee Population by Country of AsylumUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 12,2698,30612,269Moved since 2015
Malta: 8,306 · world median 12,269 · Refugees under UNHCR's mandate hosted, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 2,655,191.
Export Concentration IndexUNCTAD · 2025 · world median 0.3060.2690.306Moved since 2015
Malta: 0.269 · world median 0.306 · Export concentration index (0–1, normalised Herfindahl–Hirschman). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.059 to 0.933.
Terms of Trade IndexUNCTAD · 2025 · world median 103.2396.67103.23Moved since 2015
Malta: 96.67 · world median 103.23 · Terms of trade index (2015 = 100). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 38.2 to 1,448.
EmigrantsUN DESA Population Division · 2024 · world median 444,45143,940444,451Moved since 2015
Malta: 43,940 · world median 444,451 · Migrants from the country living abroad, mid-year (people). UN DESA Population Division, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 313 to 18,533,845.
Commodity Export DependenceUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 67.1730.3767.17Moved since 2014
Malta: 30.37 · world median 67.17 · Commodity exports (% of merchandise exports, three-year average). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 4.605 to 99.77.
Tariff Rate, Applied, Weighted Mean, All ProductsWorld Bank Group · 2022 · world median 3.661.333.66Moved since 2012
Malta: 1.33 · world median 3.66 · Applied tariff rate, trade-weighted mean (%). World Bank Group, 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 29.52.
No current reading for Malta
Cost of Sending Remittances, Creative Services Exports (last 2023), Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness Index, Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports (last 2016), FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index, ICT Services Exports (last 2014) and Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary (last 2023). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Mobility & Trade among Malta’s 16 topics
Mobility & Trade is Malta’s 4th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Food & Agriculture3rd of 1843/4 keys
- Peace & Security3rd of 1774/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience7th of 1934/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade19th of 1774/4 keys
- Work & Labour20th of 1824/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing24th of 2004/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation30th of 1763/4 keys
- Development & Human Capitaljoint 35th of 1963/3 keys
- Poverty & Inequality30th of 1593/3 keys
- Governance & Institutions42nd of 1944/4 keys
- Digital & Technology50th of 1983/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties52nd of 1984/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge59th of 1983/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 62nd of 1834/4 keys
- Energy78th of 1653/3 keys
- Environment & Sustainability152nd of 1864/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on mobility & trade
The three countries placed highest of 177, and the leaders Malta can most readily be measured against.
1
SingaporeSouth-eastern Asia
1st of 177 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Khairul Nizam . · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
2
MacauEastern Asia
2nd of 177 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
Hong KongEastern Asia
3rd of 177 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Europe
Netherlands4th4/4 keysHighest in Southern Europe
Malta19th4/4 keys
Positions out of 177 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about Malta and mobility & trade
On mobility & trade
China Leads Global High-Technology Exports
The world’s ten largest high-technology exporters as a treemap, with the rest of the world beside them. Each country’s figure is its own most recent year, between 2022 and 2024.
On mobility & trade
The World’s Safest Airlines for 2025
The eleven safest airlines of 2025, each beside the country it is based in, and the nine things the grading looks at. Three airlines share third place, and the publisher gives an order but no score.
On mobility & trade
The world’s most powerful passports for 2025
Sixteen passports, their mobility scores, and the visa-free, visa-on-arrival and visa-required split behind each. Fourteen share third place while differing in how they reach it.
08Questions
Malta on mobility & trade: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Malta rank on mobility & trade?
Malta is placed 19th of 177 countries on Mobility & Trade in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Liner Shipping Connectivity Index, Container Import Dwell Time, Logistics Performance Index and ICT Goods Exports). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Liner Shipping Connectivity Index figure for Malta?
114.6 in 2025 (lSCI (index, average Q1 2023 = 100)), according to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The world median in the same edition was 60.84.
What is the latest Container Import Dwell Time figure for Malta?
2.9 in 2024 (median days a full import container waits in port), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 4.4.
How have Malta’s mobility & trade figures changed?
Liner Shipping Connectivity Index rose from 101.66 in 2006 to 117.86 in 2026; Logistics Performance Index rose from 2.824 in 2010 to 3.3 in 2023; ICT Goods Exports fell from 63.64 in 2000 to 24.26 in 2024.
Which mobility & trade statistics are missing for Malta?
No current reading is published for Malta on Cost of Sending Remittances, Creative Services Exports, Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness Index, Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports, FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index, ICT Services Exports and Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Passport strength and freedom of movement for people are not measured with a key, because the data behind passport rankings is not licensed for reuse here. Trade as a share of the economy, remittance costs and student mobility are published here as context.
How the Mobility & Trade standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The mobility & trade method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Liner Shipping Connectivity Index — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Container Import Dwell Time — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Logistics Performance Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- ICT Goods Exports — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), CC BY 3.0 IGO
The other 22 statistics on this page come from 8 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Malta’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Malta (banner) — Dirk Heldmaier derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Singapore — Khairul Nizam ., CC BY 2.0
- Macau — Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hong Kong — Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Malta: Mobility & Trade — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/malta/mobility