Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Malta fits inside Italy 958 times
Italy: 302,070 km² (2024) · Malta: 315 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Italy’s coastline is 39 times as long as Malta’s
Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition) · Malta: 197 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Italy’s highest peak towers 4,495 m above Malta’s
Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition) · Malta: 253 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 44% of Italy, versus 25% of Malta
Italy: 43.6% (2024) · Malta: 25.4% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Italy has 102 times as many people as Malta
Italy: 58.9 million (2025) · Malta: 579,704 (2025)
How crowded is it?
Malta is 9.2 times as densely populated as Italy
Italy: 199 per km² (2025) · Malta: 1,839 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Italy and Malta are practically level
Italy: 174.4 cm (2019) · Malta: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Malta are 1.1 cm taller than in Italy
Italy: 161.8 cm (2019) · Malta: 163 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 7.2 years older than in Malta
Italy: 47.5 years (2023) · Malta: 40.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Italy have 0.2 more children on average than in Malta
Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024) · Malta: 1.01 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 21% in Malta
Italy: 25.1% (2025) · Malta: 20.5% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Malta hosts 4.4 times as many refugees per resident as Italy
Italy: 3.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Malta: 14.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Italy: 3.4 (2026) · Malta: no data
How many official languages?
Malta has 2 official languages, Italy 1
Italy: 1 (2026) · Malta: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Italy’s economy is 92 times the size of Malta’s
Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025) · Malta: $27.8 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Malta produces 15% more per person than Italy
Italy: Int$62,803 (2025) · Malta: Int$72,210 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Italy than in Malta (Gini 2.5 points higher)
Italy: 34.3 (2023) · Malta: 31.8 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
0.9% of people in Italy live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.4% in Malta
Italy: 0.9% (2023) · Malta: 0.4% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.4% in Italy, versus 2.9% in Malta
Italy: 6.4% (2025) · Malta: 2.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Italy spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, Malta 0.4%
Italy: 1.9% (2025) · Malta: 0.4% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Italy’s central government collects 26% of GDP in tax, Malta’s 24%
Italy: 25.6% (2024) · Malta: 24.1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Italy’s price level (US = 100) is 1× Malta’s
Italy: 69% (2025) · Malta: 66% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Malta spends 7% more on health per person than Italy
Italy: $3,398 (2024) · Malta: $3,623 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 1 year longer than in Malta
Italy: 84 years (2024) · Malta: 83 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Malta is 2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Italy
Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Malta: 4.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Malta has 8% more doctors per person than Italy
Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022) · Malta: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Malta has 34% more hospital beds per person than Italy
Italy: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Malta: 4.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Malta is 7% higher than in Italy
Italy: 5.7 per 100k (2023) · Malta: 6.1 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
33% of adults in Malta are obese, versus 18% in Italy
Italy: 17.9% (2024) · Malta: 33.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
25% of adults in Malta smoke, versus 22% in Italy
Italy: 22.4% (2024) · Malta: 24.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Italy rate their lives 0.14 points higher than in Malta
Italy: 6.57 (2025) · Malta: 6.44 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Italy drink 10% more alcohol than in Malta
Italy: 8.4 litres (2023) · Malta: 7.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Malta and Italy are nearly identical here
Italy: 71.2 kg (2023) · Malta: 71.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 346 kcal more food per person per day than Malta
Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023) · Malta: 3,407 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Malta put in 146 more hours a year than in Italy
Italy: 1,701 hours (2023) · Malta: 1,848 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Malta went to school 1.6 years longer than in Italy
Italy: 10.8 years (2023) · Malta: 12.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Malta welcomed 6.4 times as many tourists per resident as Italy (2019)
Italy: 0.98 (2024) · Malta: 6.26 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Italy has 59 more World Heritage sites than Malta (62 against 3)
Italy: 62 (2026) · Malta: 3 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Italy has won 829 Olympic medals, Malta none
Italy: 829 (2026 edition) · Malta: 0 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Malta are online, versus 89% in Italy
Italy: 89% (2024) · Malta: 94% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Malta and Italy are nearly identical here
Italy: 274 Mbps (2026) · Malta: 275 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Italy and Malta are practically level
Italy: 100% (2024) · Malta: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
96% of people in Malta live in cities, versus 70% in Italy
Italy: 70% (2025) · Malta: 96% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Malta has 142 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Italy 133
Italy: 133 (2024) · Malta: 142 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Italy: 17,305 km (2021) · Malta: no data
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Malta fly 12 times as many passengers per resident as those from Italy
Italy: 0.34 (2023) · Malta: 4.12 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 32% of Italy, but only 1.5% of Malta
Italy: 31.8% (2024) · Malta: 1.5% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Italy emits 59% more CO₂ than someone in Malta
Italy: 5.1 t (2024) · Malta: 3.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
49% of Italy’s electricity is renewable, versus 16% in Malta
Italy: 48.8% (2025) · Malta: 16% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Italy carries 37% more fine dust than in Malta
Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024) · Malta: 11.1 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Italy and Malta are nearly identical here
Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023) · Malta: 0.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Italy are 2 times as deadly as in Malta
Italy: 8.5 per 100k (2023) · Malta: 4.3 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Malta: no data
How much rain falls?
Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Malta: no data
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Italy bigger than Malta?
Italy is larger. Malta fits inside Italy 958 times.
Which has more people, Italy or Malta?
Italy has 102 times as many people as Malta (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Italy or Malta?
People in Italy live 1 year longer than in Malta. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Italy and 83.0 in Malta.
Are people taller in Italy or Malta?
Italy and Malta are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
