Malta vs Netherlands development indicators, 2024

Demography and Health

In terms of demographic indicators, Malta has a crude birth rate of 8.1 per 1,000 people, slightly lower than the Netherlands' 9.2, placing them at ranks 59 and 36 respectively. The death rate in Malta is 7.3, which is also lower than the Netherlands at 9.5, earning them ranks 73 and 62. Additionally, Malta boasts a higher life expectancy at birth of 83.5 years compared to 81.9 years in the Netherlands, positioning them at ranks 3 and 25. Regarding under-5 mortality, Malta's rate of 5.5 per 1,000 live births ranks 12, while the Netherlands is at 22 with a rate of 4. Moreover, Malta’s net migration in 2024 shows a positive figure of 6,323, while the Netherlands sees a massive influx with 121,628 net migrants, ranking 75 and 16 respectively.

Economy

Malta's economy exhibits notable characteristics, particularly with its GDP per capita standing at $42,347, which is considerably lower than the Netherlands' $68,219, ranking them at 40 and 12. However, Malta shows a higher GDP per capita when measured in purchasing power parity (PPP), at $67,364 compared to the Netherlands’ $84,218, ranking 27 and 9 respectively. Malta's exports of goods and services represent 123% of GDP, contrasting with the Netherlands at 84.1%, reflecting rank positions of 11 and 31. Additionally, the inflation rate in Malta is relatively low at 1.7%, whereas the Netherlands is higher at 3.3%, with ranks 99 and 64. Malta also shows strong foreign direct investment inflows at 175% of GDP, ranking it 2, while the Netherlands has net outflows at -1.1%, placing it 94.

Trade and Investment

From a trade and investment perspective, Malta’s economy is heavily reliant on exports, accounting for 123% of its GDP, while the Netherlands, a significant global trading hub, has exports constituting 84.1% of its GDP. Malta demonstrates a significant competitive advantage in high-technology exports, amounting to $1.2 billion, though this is substantially lower than the Netherlands’ impressive $111 billion, ranking 75 and 5. In terms of imports, Malta again shows higher dependency at 106% of GDP compared to the Netherlands at 72%, indicating ranks of 7 and 43.

Governance and Institutions

Governance indicators reveal stark differences between the two nations. Malta ranks lower in various governance indices, such as Control of Corruption, where it scores 0.1 versus the Netherlands' 1.9, ranking them 69 and 14 respectively. Similarly, in Government Effectiveness, Malta has a score of 0.4, while the Netherlands scores 1.6, leading to ranks of 68 and 11. Regulatory Quality is another area where Malta lags with a score of 0.7 compared to 1.8 for the Netherlands, placing them at 61 and 8. However, Malta's Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism score of 0.9 is slightly better than the Netherlands' 0.7, giving them ranks of 19 and 44. The Rule of Law is relatively close, with Malta at 0.7 and the Netherlands at 1.6, placing them at 54 and 17, respectively.

Infrastructure and Technology

In terms of technology adoption and infrastructure, Malta has a commendable 92.1% of its population using the Internet, though it still trails behind the Netherlands, where 97% have Internet access, giving it ranks of 34 and 9 respectively. The Logistics Performance Index highlights a quality difference in trade and transport infrastructure, with Malta scoring 3.7 against the Netherlands' superior score of 4.2, leading to ranks of 11 and 2. Both countries find themselves in the domain of research and development, with Malta investing 0.6% of GDP compared to the Netherlands’ 2.3%, which ranks them 52 and 14, respectively.

Environment and Sustainability

Environmental metrics depict a significant balance in sustainability efforts. Malta's renewable energy consumption stands at 8.6% of total final energy consumption, lower than the Netherlands at 12.2%, resulting in ranks of 27 and 25. The level of water stress is intensely high in Malta, with 78.3% of freshwater resources being withdrawn, reflecting rank 1, while the Netherlands manages a much lower rate at 16.1%, ranking 14. Furthermore, total greenhouse gas emissions per capita are considerably higher in the Netherlands at 8.4 tons CO2e compared to Malta's 3.7 tons, with ranks of 81 and 30. This comparison underscores Malta’s need to enhance its sustainability strategies to match the more balanced approaches seen in the Netherlands.