Italy vs Malta development indicators, 2024

Demography and Health

In terms of demographics, Italy has a lower birth rate of 6.4 per 1,000 people compared to Malta's 8.1, which ranks it at 81st globally versus 59th for Malta. However, Italy also has a higher crude death rate of 11.2 per 1,000 people compared to Malta's 7.3, placing Italy at 38th and Malta at 73rd. Life expectancy in Italy is slightly higher at 83.7 years compared to 83.5 years in Malta, indicating relatively similar health outcomes. The under-5 mortality rate is notably lower in Italy at 2.8 per 1,000 live births versus 5.5 in Malta, reflecting stronger health systems for child care in Italy. Net migration, which can influence demographic dynamics, shows a significant influx into Italy with 95,246 migrants, while Malta has a much smaller net migration of 6,323.

Economy

Italy's economy shows strong indicators with a GDP per capita of $40,226 compared to Malta's $42,347, placing both countries closely in 42nd and 40th ranks. Italy's high-technology exports amount to $52.2 billion, significantly more than Malta's $1.2 billion, which reflects its advanced industrial capacity. The consumer price inflation rate is lower in Italy at 1% versus Malta's 1.7%, potentially indicating greater price stability in Italy. Despite having a smaller economic size, Malta demonstrates a remarkable 175% of GDP in foreign direct investment net inflows, vastly outpacing Italy's 0.9% of GDP. Furthermore, Malta has a current account balance of 5.7% of GDP compared to Italy's 1.1%, showcasing a strong financial position.

Trade and Investment

Malta shines brightly in trade, with exports of goods and services making up an extraordinary 123% of its GDP, ranking it 11th globally. In contrast, Italy has exports accounting for 32.7% of GDP, placing it at 106th. This stark difference highlights Malta's unique role as a significant trade hub. Moreover, Italy's imports, constituting 30.4% of GDP, are in contrast to Malta's high rate of 106%. The evident discrepancy in these percentages suggests that Malta's economy could be heavily linked to its trade-related activities and financial services, while Italy continues to have a more traditional economic structure.

Governance and Institutions

When it comes to governance and institutions, Italy demonstrates slightly stronger performance in control of corruption (0.6) and government effectiveness (0.6) compared to Malta's scores of 0.1 and 0.4 respectively. Italy ranks 53rd in control of corruption and 58th in government effectiveness, which suggests a relatively competent administrative environment. Conversely, Malta ranks lower at 69th and 68th, indicating issues in these areas. However, Malta scores higher on regulatory quality at 0.7, compared to Italy's 0.6, which can affect entrepreneurship and investment climate positively in Malta.

Infrastructure and Technology

In infrastructure, both countries show competent logistics performance, with Italy scoring 3.8, ranking 8th, while Malta scored slightly lower at 3.7, ranking 11th. This indicates that Italy has a slight edge in terms of trade and transport infrastructure. In terms of technology, the internet penetration is substantial in both nations, but Malta leads at 92.1% compared to Italy’s 87%. The number of patent applications indicates innovation levels where Italy, with 10,281 applications, significantly surpasses Malta's mere 5, which reflects Italy's stronger capacity for research and development activities.

Environment and Sustainability

Italy demonstrates a higher renewable energy consumption rate at 17.5% compared to Malta's 8.6%, indicating a greater commitment to sustainable energy practices. In terms of the level of water stress, Italy has a moderate rate of 29.6% of freshwater withdrawal compared to Malta's very high rate of 78.3%, suggesting that Malta faces significant challenges in water resource management. Regarding greenhouse gas emissions, Italy produces 6.3 tons of CO2e per capita, in contrast to Malta's much lower level of 3.7 tons, indicating a potential area where Malta shows greener practices despite its environmental challenges.