External balance on goods and services in Malta
Malta: External balance on goods and services was 4.72 billion current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
4.72 billion current LCU
Change on year
up 6.1%
World rank
56th
of 193 countries
All-time high
4.72 billion current LCU
in 2025
All-time low
-467.89 million current LCU
in 2005
Years of data
56
1970–2025
External balance on goods and services in Malta, 1970–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
Malta recorded 4.72 billion current LCU for external balance on goods and services in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.1% on the previous year and up 349.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Malta peaked at 4.72 billion current LCU in 2025 and was at its lowest, -467.89 million current LCU, in 2005.
Malta ranks 56th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services in Malta, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | -66.14 million current LCU | — |
| 1971 | -58.78 million current LCU | -11.1% |
| 1972 | -54.91 million current LCU | -6.6% |
| 1973 | -53.48 million current LCU | -2.6% |
| 1974 | -89.28 million current LCU | +66.9% |
| 1975 | -53.77 million current LCU | -39.8% |
| 1976 | -57.91 million current LCU | +7.7% |
| 1977 | -83.11 million current LCU | +43.5% |
| 1978 | -49.72 million current LCU | -40.2% |
| 1979 | -43.73 million current LCU | -12.1% |
| 1980 | -55.05 million current LCU | +25.9% |
| 1981 | -90.00 million current LCU | +63.5% |
| 1982 | -177.32 million current LCU | +97.0% |
| 1983 | -162.67 million current LCU | -8.3% |
| 1984 | -166.34 million current LCU | +2.3% |
| 1985 | -178.99 million current LCU | +7.6% |
| 1986 | -124.66 million current LCU | -30.4% |
| 1987 | -125.26 million current LCU | +0.5% |
| 1988 | -147.99 million current LCU | +18.1% |
| 1989 | -177.73 million current LCU | +20.1% |
| 1990 | -241.68 million current LCU | +36.0% |
| 1991 | -217.31 million current LCU | -10.1% |
| 1992 | -155.94 million current LCU | -28.2% |
| 1993 | -223.91 million current LCU | +43.6% |
| 1994 | -258.11 million current LCU | +15.3% |
| 1995 | -195.88 million current LCU | -24.1% |
| 1996 | -316.84 million current LCU | +61.8% |
| 1997 | -207.61 million current LCU | -34.5% |
| 1998 | -233.15 million current LCU | +12.3% |
| 1999 | -176.53 million current LCU | -24.3% |
| 2000 | -373.39 million current LCU | +111.5% |
| 2001 | -188.15 million current LCU | -49.6% |
| 2002 | 113.02 million current LCU | -160.1% |
| 2003 | -174.34 million current LCU | -254.3% |
| 2004 | -279.10 million current LCU | +60.1% |
| 2005 | -467.89 million current LCU | +67.6% |
| 2006 | -219.29 million current LCU | -53.1% |
| 2007 | -180.53 million current LCU | -17.7% |
| 2008 | -174.92 million current LCU | -3.1% |
| 2009 | -93.75 million current LCU | -46.4% |
| 2010 | 69.67 million current LCU | -174.3% |
| 2011 | 200.79 million current LCU | +188.2% |
| 2012 | 178.34 million current LCU | -11.2% |
| 2013 | 642.79 million current LCU | +260.4% |
| 2014 | 1.12 billion current LCU | +74.8% |
| 2015 | 1.05 billion current LCU | -6.6% |
| 2016 | 1.41 billion current LCU | +34.3% |
| 2017 | 2.53 billion current LCU | +79.7% |
| 2018 | 2.54 billion current LCU | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 2.33 billion current LCU | -8.4% |
| 2020 | 2.52 billion current LCU | +8.1% |
| 2021 | 2.92 billion current LCU | +15.8% |
| 2022 | 2.16 billion current LCU | -25.9% |
| 2023 | 3.84 billion current LCU | +77.8% |
| 2024 | 4.45 billion current LCU | +15.8% |
| 2025 | 4.72 billion current LCU | +6.1% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 4.72 billion current LCU is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.18 billion current LCU, 1.5× the median. (72 countries reporting)
- Malta's 4.72 billion current LCU is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -4.55 billion current LCU. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services in Malta changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | -254.3% | 113.02 million current LCU | -174.34 million current LCU |
| 2013 | +260.4% | 178.34 million current LCU | 642.79 million current LCU |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -61.08 million current LCU | -89.28 million current LCU | -43.73 million current LCU | 10 |
| 1980s | -140.60 million current LCU | -178.99 million current LCU | -55.05 million current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | -222.70 million current LCU | -316.84 million current LCU | -155.94 million current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | -203.83 million current LCU | -467.89 million current LCU | 113.02 million current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.21 billion current LCU | 69.67 million current LCU | 2.54 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.44 billion current LCU | 2.16 billion current LCU | 4.72 billion current LCU | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More economy & growth data for Malta
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.35 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.51 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 36.46 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 1.46 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 64,096 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 42.59 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 73.1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 1.7 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 74,864 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 8.88 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Malta?
- External balance on goods and services in Malta was 4.72 billion current LCU in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services recorded in Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 4.72 billion current LCU in 2025.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was -467.89 million current LCU in 2005.
- How does Malta rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Malta ranks 56th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is up 349.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malta data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of External balance on goods and services (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.