🇲🇹Malta Political Stability: 58.3/100

Malta is an archipelago located in the central Mediterranean, approximately 80 km from southern Italy. The three largest inhabited islands are Malta, Gozo, and Comino, with Malta being the largest and most populated. The islands feature a hilly terrain and a Mediterranean climate, characterized by mild winters and warm summers, with average temperatures ranging from 15 °C in January to 31 °C in August.

Malta has a population of approximately 480,134, making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The capital city is Valletta, which has been the administrative center since 1570. The majority of the population resides in urban areas, with about 95% of the territory being urbanized.

World Bank governance: rule of law 63rd percentile, corruption control 49th percentile, political stability 61st percentile.

Malta's strongest governance dimension is Voice & Accountability at 70/100, placing it in the upper half globally. This indicates relatively strong citizen participation in selecting government, along with freedom of expression, association, and a free media.

The weakest dimension is Government Effectiveness at 48/100. Limited government effectiveness can mean inconsistent public services and gaps in policy implementation.

A moderate spread of 21 points separates the strongest and weakest indicators. This suggests governance strengths in some areas but room for improvement in others. Travelers can generally rely on institutional frameworks, though certain aspects of governance may be less dependable.

Malta's moderate governance scores suggest travelers should prepare for some institutional inconsistency. Public services may be unreliable in certain areas, and regulatory enforcement can be uneven. Travel insurance and advance planning are recommended.

The U.S. State Department currently rates Malta as Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions). This aligns with a governance profile that, while not without challenges, provides a baseline of institutional functioning.