🇲🇹Malta Political Stability: 58.3/100

Malta is an archipelago located in the central Mediterranean, about 80 km from southern Italy. The islands feature a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot summers, and the landscape consists of low hills and numerous bays. The highest point is Ta' Dmejrek at 253 m, and the average yearly temperature is around 23 °C. Malta is densely populated, with about 95% of its area being urban, and it has a total area of 316 km².

Malta has a population of over 0.5 million, making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The capital city, Valletta, has a population of approximately 205,768. The majority of the population is urban, with about 95% of the area classified as urban.

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.