Hungary vs Malta development indicators, 2024

Indicator	Hungary, Value	Malta, Value	Hungary, Rank	Malta, Rank	Hungary as % of Malta
Current account balance (% of GDP)	2.28	5.69	37	19	40 %
Exports of goods and services (% of GDP)	74.7	123	17	6	60.5 %
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP)	-14.7	175	107	1
GDP per capita (current US$)	23,311	42,347	54	27	55 %
GDP per capita, PPP (current international US$)	47,636	67,364	47	24	70.7 %
Imports of goods and services (% of GDP)	69.1	106	23	6	65.2 %
Inflation, consumer prices (annual %)	3.7	1.65	58	123	224 %
Net migration	16,223	6,323	41	52	257 %
Population, total	9,562,314	574,346	96	170	1,665 %

Demography and Health

Hungary has a crude birth rate of 9.1 per 1,000 people, slightly higher than Malta's 8.1, placing Hungary at rank 38 compared to Malta's rank of 59. On the other hand, the crude death rate is much higher in Hungary at 13.4, while Malta's death rate stands at 7.3, with Hungary ranked 19 and Malta at 73. Life expectancy at birth also highlights significant disparity; Hungary's life expectancy is 76.8 years, while Malta is considerably higher at 83.5 years, ranking 3rd globally as opposed to Hungary's 65th. The under-5 mortality rate in Hungary is lower than Malta's, at 3.8 compared to 5.5 per 1,000 live births, placing Hungary at 28th rank and Malta at 12th. The prevalence of undernourishment is identical in both countries at 2.5%, both ranked well, but poverty rates show Hungary at 12.1%, better than Malta's 16.7% in 2021. Furthermore, Hungary enjoys a higher net migration, with 16,223 individuals compared to Malta's 6,323.

Economy

Malta's economy exhibits higher GDP per capita with $42,347 compared to Hungary’s $23,311 in 2024, ranking Malta at 40 and Hungary at 84. When adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), Malta further leads with a GDP per capita of $67,364 against Hungary's $47,636, ranking 27 and 72 respectively. Hungary's heavy reliance on exports is noticeable, contributing 74.7% to its GDP, whereas Malta boasts an impressive 123% of GDP in exports, ranked 11th. Imports also show a similar trend; Hungary imports 69.1% of GDP, whereas Malta's imports are higher at 106%. Inflation rates in 2024 tell a stark story, with Hungary at 3.7% compared to Malta’s more stable 1.7%.

Trade and Investment

Hungary has faced challenges in attracting foreign direct investment, showing a negative rate of -14.7% of GDP, placing it at the bottom rank of 100. Conversely, Malta presents a strong figure of 175% in net foreign direct investment inflows, securing the 2nd position globally. The current account balance reveals Hungary with a modest surplus of 2.3% of GDP versus Malta's stronger surplus of 5.7%. Moreover, Hungary's high-tech exports total $24.4 billion, a striking figure compared to Malta's more modest $1.2 billion, indicating a weaker position in high-technology manufacturing, with Hungary ranked 29th and Malta at 75th.

Governance and Institutions

In terms of governance, both countries show some room for improvement. Hungary has a control of corruption score of -0, ranking 76, compared to Malta's slightly better 0.1, at rank 69. Both countries have similar government effectiveness scores, standing at 0.4, with Hungary at 70th and Malta at 68th. The indicators for political stability and absence of violence slight favor Malta, scoring 0.9, to Hungary’s 0.7, resulting in ranks of 19 and 31 respectively. However, regulatory quality and rule of law show that Hungary has lower scores (0.3 and 0.4) compared to Malta's scores of 0.7 and 0.7, which signifies better governance structures in Malta.

Infrastructure and Technology

The logistics performance index indicates that Hungary's trade and transport-related infrastructure is rated at 3.1, compared to Malta's higher rating of 3.7, revealing a more effective infrastructure system in Malta. Hungary's research and development expenditure is moderately higher at 1.4% of GDP compared to Malta’s 0.6%, suggesting that Hungary is more committed to innovation, ranked 34 and 52 respectively. Patent applications from residents also depict a contrast, as Hungary filed 433 patents, significantly higher than Malta's 5 applications.

Environment and Sustainability

In the environmental context, Hungary has made strides in renewable energy, with consumption at 15.3%, ranked 22nd, while Malta lags at only 8.6%, ranked 27th. The level of water stress shows Hungary has used only 8.1% of its freshwater resources, substantially lower than Malta, which has an alarming figure of 78.3%, indicating potential sustainability issues in Malta, ranking 1st. When considering greenhouse gas emissions, Hungary's emissions per capita stand at 6.4 t CO2e, compared to Malta's lower figure of 3.7 t CO2e; however, Hungary still performs poorly in this category, ranking 61st against Malta's 81st.