Malta: Terms of trade adjustment (constant LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Malta's terms of trade adjustment (constant LCU) fell 70.83 million on 2024 (from 45.77 million to -25.07 million).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +27.11 million and a typical year strayed about 64.42 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 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 147.77 million in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 95.49 million in 2006. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 27.37 million a year. A straight line explains 69% 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 2025, Malta had the 74th highest value of the 128 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 2025 ranking

• Cyprus — 71st of 128: 85.17 million
• Latvia — 72nd of 128: 73.09 million
• Bangladesh — 73rd of 128: 39,501
• El Salvador — 75th of 128: -37.65 million
• West Bank and Gaza — 76th of 128: -41.99 million
• Bulgaria — 77th of 128: -68.12 million

What this measures

The terms of trade adjustment is equal to the capacity to import (current price value of exports of goods and services deflated by the import price index) less exports of goods and services in constant prices. This indicator is expressed in constant prices, meaning the series has been adjusted to account for price changes over time. The reference year for this adjustment varies by country. This series is expressed in local currency units.

All 26 values

Terms of trade adjustment (constant LCU) in nearby economies

• Algeria — 668.42 billion (2025)
• Bahrain — 538.68 million (2024)
• Djibouti — 60.9 billion (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — -242.03 billion (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — -9,327.9 trillion (2025)
• Iraq — -25.43 trillion (2024)
• Israel — 6.56 billion (2025)
• Kuwait — -4.52 billion (2024)
• Lebanon — -703.04 billion (2024)
• Libya — -30.15 billion (2025)

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 terms of trade adjustment (constant LCU)?

-25.07 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 95.85% from -604.76 million in 2000. The highest value was 67.41 million in 2022 and the lowest -660.49 million in 2012.

How does Malta rank?

74th highest of 128 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in terms of trade adjustment (constant LCU) unusual for Malta?

In 2025, Malta's terms of trade adjustment (constant LCU) fell 70.83 million on 2024 (from 45.77 million to -25.07 million). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +27.11 million and a typical year strayed about 64.42 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 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 NY.TTF.GNFS.KN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks; National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) 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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