News Releases

Direct Investment in Malta and Abroad: January-June 2023

NR028/2024
Release Date: 15 February 2024
Cut-off Date: 12 February 2024

As at the end of June 2023, the stock position of Foreign Direct Investment in Malta stood at €477.9 billion, while Direct Investment abroad amounted to €461.3 billion.
Euro,Money,In,Coins,And,Paper,On,A,White,Background

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Malta

Foreign direct investment flows were estimated to be €9.9 billion during the first six months of 2023.  The main contributors to FDI flows were Financial and insurance activities, accounting for 88.8 per cent of the total (Table 2).

In June 2023, the stock position of FDI in Malta amounted to €477.9 billion, an increase of €36.1 billion over the corresponding period of the previous year. Financial and insurance activities recorded the largest share at 97.6 per cent of FDI stocks in June 2023 (Table 3).

 

Direct Investment Abroad

During the first six months of 2023, direct investment flows abroad totalled €10.0 billion, mainly in the form of equity and investment fund shares/units (Table 4).

The stock position of direct investment abroad stood at €461.3 billion in June 2023, up by €32.5 billion over the stock position in 2022. Financial and insurance activities made up 99.5 per cent of total FDI abroad (Table 6).

Chart 1. FDI in Malta and abroad

Stock positions as at the end of June

No Data Found

Drag to view in full

Methodological Notes

1. The collection, compilation and presentation of both the International Investment Position (IIP) and the Balance of Payments (BoP) statements of Malta fall under the responsibility of the National Statistics Office (NSO), with the co-operation of the Central Bank of Malta (CBM). Direct Investment is extracted from both statements, and compiled in accordance with the international guidelines set out in the sixth manual of the International Monetary Fund (BPM6).
 
However, the Direct Investment news release is presented on a directional basis, ie. inward and outward, rather than on an asset and liability basis. The statement incorporates data relating to special purpose entities which are classified under financial service activities. This inclusion has brought about significant changes in the FDI statement.
 
2. Direct Investment is defined as “a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy.” (BPM6).
 
a. Direct Investment is sub-divided into two categories:
●  Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Malta – where a foreign investor owns 10% or more of the ordinary shares (or voting power) of an enterprise in Malta; and
 
●  Direct Investment Abroad – where a Maltese resident entity (or an individual, government or association) owns 10% or more of the ordinary shares of an enterprise in another economy. These companies can be subsidiaries, affiliates or branches.
 
b. Direct Investment is made up of three basic components:
● Equity and investment fund shares/units – comprising equity investment in subsidiaries, associates and branches. Capital contributions (e.g. provisions of machinery) and purchase of immovable property are also classified under equity capital. Also consists of the direct investor’s share of earnings not distributed as dividends by subsidiaries and associates; and earnings that branches do not remit to the direct investor. Losses are regarded as negative reinvested earnings.
 
● Debt Instruments – including inter-company transactions such as borrowing and lending of funds; and trade debits and credits between direct investors and direct investment enterprises. Transactions between enterprises in different economies that share the same direct investor are also considered as direct investment and included under debt instruments.

3. Direct Investment flows include transactions occurring during a particular period. Besides accumulated flows, the Direct Investment Stock Position takes into account any market value revaluations, reclassifications and exchange rate changes prevailing at the end of the reporting period.

4. The type of data collection system used to compile the Direct Investment is a composite system based on monthly, quarterly and annual direct reporting (DR) enterprise surveys, as well as various other sources that are identified from time to time by the BoP compilers. No major sectors of the economy are excluded from the aggregate data. The data for all components are compiled from these surveys. Where not directly available, preliminary figures on reinvested earnings are estimates based on an average of the previous four years. The final data on reinvested earnings are then compiled from the annual DR survey.

5. The classification used for economic activity is NACE Rev. 2, which corresponds to the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community. Both the data on Direct Investment abroad and Foreign Direct Investment in Malta are classified on the basis of the industrial activity of the resident direct investment enterprises. Due to confidentiality issues, aggregate economic activities are grouped as follows:

Manufacturing includes:
   Manufacturing industry
 
Transportation, Accommodation and Real Estate Activities include:
  Land, sea and air transport
  Warehousing and support activities for transportation
    Postal and courier activities
    Accommodation and food service activities
Real estate activities
 
Financial and Insurance Activities include:
  Financial service activities
  Insurance, reinsurance and pension fundings
  Activities auxiliary to financial services
 
Information and Communication Activities include:
  Publishing activities
  Activities connected to audio and video productions
  Telecommunications
  Computer programming, consultancy and related activities
  Information service activities
 
Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities include:
  Legal and accounting activities
  Business and management consultancy activities
  Architectural, engineering and other technical activities
  Scientific research and development
  Advertising and market research
  Other professional, scientific and technical activities
  Veterinary activities
 
Other Activities include:
  Agriculture and fishing
  Mining and quarrying
  Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
  Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
  Construction industry
  Wholesale and retail; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
  Administrative and support service activities
  Education, health and social work activities
  Arts, entertainment and recreation
  Other activities not allocated elsewhere
 
6.  Data are to be considered provisional. 
 
7.  More information relating to this news release may be accessed at:
 
8.  References to this news release are to be cited appropriately. For guidance on access and re-use of data please visit our dedicated webpage.
 
9.  A detailed news release calendar is available online.
 
10.  For further assistance please submit your query through our online request form.
 
 

Direct Investment in Malta and Abroad: January-June 2023  

NR028/2024
Release Date: 15 February 2024
Cut-off Date: 12 February 2024

Euro,Money,In,Coins,And,Paper,On,A,White,Background
  • As at the end of June 2023, the stock position of Foreign Direct Investment in Malta stood at €477.9 billion, while Direct Investment abroad amounted to €461.3 billion.
  • The main contributors to both inward and outward FDI were financial and insurance activities.
  • During the first six months of 2023, FDI flows in Malta and abroad went up by €9.9 billion and €10.0 billion, respectively.

Direct Investment in Malta and Abroad: January-June 2023

Inflation Calculator News releases calendar Request for Information NACE Code queries
Skip to content