Malta: Net primary income (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Malta's net primary income (current US$, BoP) fell US$349.5 million on 2023 (from −US$2.55 billion to −US$2.9 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −US$88.74 million and a typical year strayed about US$259.74 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$701.24 million in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was US$706.83 million in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about US$262.85 million a year. A straight line explains 81% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Malta had the 29th highest value of the 29 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Malta in the 2024 ranking

• Tanzania — 25th of 29: −US$1.89 billion
• Papua New Guinea — 26th of 29: −US$1.9 billion
• Guinea — 27th of 29: −US$2.37 billion
• Côte d'Ivoire — 29th of 29: −US$3.82 billion

What this measures

Net primary income includes the net labor income and net property and entrepreneurial income components of the SNA. Labor income covers compensation of employees paid to nonresident workers. Property and entrepreneurial income covers investment income from the ownership of foreign financial claims (interest, dividends, rent, etc.) and nonfinancial property income (patents, copyrights, etc.). This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Limitations: Discrepancies may arise in the balance of payments because there is no single source for balance of payments data and therefore no way to ensure that the data are fully consistent. Sources include customs data, monetary accounts of the banking system, external debt records, information provided by enterprises, surveys to estimate service transactions, and foreign exchange records. Differences in collection methods - such as in timing, definitions of residence and ownership, and the exchange rate used to value transactions - contribute to net errors and omissions. In addition, smuggling and other illegal or quasi-legal transactions may be unrecorded or misrecorded.

All 54 values

Net primary income (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — US$189.23 million (2020)
• Algeria — −US$1.98 billion (2025)
• Bahrain — −US$3.44 billion (2025)
• Djibouti — US$115.93 million (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — −US$16.48 billion (2025)
• Iraq — US$7.6 million (2025)
• Israel — −US$8.23 billion (2025)
• Jordan — −US$1.25 billion (2024)
• Kuwait — US$36.37 billion (2025)
• Lebanon — −US$78.88 million (2023)
• Libya

More economic policy & debt data for Malta

• Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$1.54 billion (2025)
• Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$1.49 billion (2025)
• Other manufacturing (% of value added in manufacturing) — 46.54% (2023)
• Textiles and clothing (% of value added in manufacturing) — 1.23% (2023)
• Chemicals (% of value added in manufacturing) — 6.47% (2023)
• Machinery and transport equipment (% of value added in manufacturing) — 30.86% (2023)
• Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) — US$14.36 billion (2025)
• Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) — 51.71% (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current US$)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Malta's net primary income (current US$, BoP)?

−US$2.9 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is down 15,823% from US$18.42 million in 1971. The highest value was US$190.1 million in 1990 and the lowest −US$2.9 billion in 2024.

How does Malta rank?

29th highest of 29 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in net primary income (current US$, BoP) unusual for Malta?

In 2024, Malta's net primary income (current US$, BoP) fell US$349.5 million on 2023 (from −US$2.55 billion to −US$2.9 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −US$88.74 million and a typical year strayed about US$259.74 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BN.GSR.FCTY.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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