What is the extent of internet penetration in Malta?

• Malta performs well in respect of Internet penetration and broadband.  Internet access is available in various forms - dial-up, cable, DSL, and wireless.  Broadband coverage is extensive across Malta and Gozo and wireless connectivity, including in outdoor public spaces, is becoming widespread. 

 

• Eurostat figures for 2015 reveal that 80% of Maltese households had Internet access.  82% of these households had broadband access.  Malta ranked 15^th in the EU-28 in respect of households with Internet access, but was above the EU-28 average in respect of broadband access.  The EU-28 average in 2015 for households with Internet access was 83%; 80% had broadband access. 

 

• A 2015 survey by the Malta Communications Authority similarly revealed that 77% of residential users had Internet access.  Only 8% of those without Internet cited affordability as a reason for their not getting Internet access in the future. In the same survey, the majority of households were satisfied with the Internet quality of service; only 5% of households were dissatisfied with the level of service. In 2015, 59% of households aware of how much they were paying perceived the cost of their Internet service to be either reasonable or cheap.

 

• The survey revealed that 35% of all households claimed to have experienced Internet connection problems in the previous 12 months.  Of those, the majority (71%) claimed to have had the problem addressed within one day.

 

• E-commerce take up in Malta in 2013 (Eurostat) was 46%.  This compared favourable with the EU-28 average of 47%; however, recent reports suggest that on-line shopping is fast becoming popular with the Maltese.

 

• The Internet country code for Malta is .mt.  The European Union domain (.eu) is also used in Malta, shared with other EU Member States.

 

Sources:

Internet World Stats. http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats9.htm

Malta Communications Authority http://www.mca.org.mt/notices-and-announcements/malta-one-top-eu-performers-fixed-broadband-penetration-eu-commission and https://mca.org.mt/surveys/consumer-perceptions-survey-broadband-2015

Eurostat. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/information-society/data/main-tables

 

What is the extent of mobile / phone penetration in Malta?

• Mobile penetration in Malta in the last quarter of 2015 was 129%, where 74% of all subscriptions were pre-paid subscriptions. 

 

• A 2015 survey by the Malta Communications Authority revealed that 85% of residential users had a mobile phone; only 22% of residential users were on a contract (post-paid).

 

• 54% accessed the Internet via their mobile phone (Smart Phone), which is significantly higher than in 2013, when only 37% of respondents then claimed to have a Smart Phone.  In 2015, those accessing the Internet via their phones did so for social networking (74%), to view e-mails (60%), for general browsing (57%), to view news (29%) You Tube (11%).  24% made calls over the Internet through their mobile.

 

• The same 2015 survey revealed that 87% of those with a mobile connection were satisfied or highly satisfied with the level of service provided by their operator. Only 9% of respondents claimed to have changed operators in the previous two-year period.

 

Sources:

MCA 2015. https://mca.org.mt/surveys/consumer-perceptions-survey-mobile-telephony-services-2015 and https://mca.org.mt/statistics/key-market-indicators-electronic-communications-and-post-q1-2011-q4-2015

 

What is the quality of air transport?     

• The quality of Malta's air transport infrastructure is rated positively, and Malta International Airport scores highly in worldwide airport ratings.
• A survey by the World Economic Forum (2015), using a scale from 1 (extremely underdeveloped) to 7 (extensive and efficient), rated the quality of Malta’s air transport infrastructure as 5.48.  The rating for the European Union (EU-28), taken as the simple average of the scores for the Member States, was 5.07.  Malta ranked 13^th in the EU-28 in 2015 in respect of the quality of air transport infrastructure.
• In the 2015 Airports Council International Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards Malta International Airport was ranked second in the ‘Best Airport by Region’ (over 2 million passengers per year) category, along with Zurich, Prague and Dublin.  The ASQ Awards surveyed 97 European airports.

   

Sources:

European Commission 2015. http://ec.europa.eu/transport/facts-fundings/scoreboard/countries/malta/investments-infrastructure/index_en.htm  

Airports Council International (ACI)

http://www.aci.aero/Airport-Service-Quality/ASQ-Awards/Current-Winners

 

What electric supply system does Malta use?

• The three-pin rectangular plug system is used in Malta, which is the same as the United Kingdom system.  As a country that attracts many overseas visitors, adapter plugs are very readily available across Malta and Gozo.
• The electrical supply in Malta is 230 volts /- 10% and the frequency of the supply is 50 hertz. 
• The gross inland energy consumption in 2012 was 0.91 Mtoe.  There is no supply of natural gas.  Electricity generation in Malta is dominated by crude oil and petroleum products.

 

Sources:

Enemalta, Electricity Generation, at http://www.enemalta.com.mt/index.aspx?cat=2&art=5

Europa, Country Report Malta, 2014, at - https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/2014_countryreport_malta.pdf

 

What is the media landscape like in Malta? 

• There is a range of print media in Malta, and daily and weekly publications are in both Maltese and English.  Similarly, Maltese radio and television stations broadcast in Maltese and English.  There is also a range of electronic media in both languages.

 

• Many of Malta's newspapers and broadcasters have strong political affiliations with the Nationalist Party or the Labour Party.

 

• A 2015 Eurobarometer survey revealed that the Maltese trust the Government more than the media - 51% of respondents trusted the Government; 32% trusted the print media; 38% radio media; and 47% television media (Jacob Borg and Times of Malta 2016).

 

Print Media-
The Malta Independent	The Sunday Times Of Malta
In-Nazzjon	Il-Mument
L-Orizzont	The Malta Business Weekly
Times Of Malta	Malta Today
Kullħadd	Malta Today Midweek
The Malta Independent on Sunday	Illum
It-Torċa	Leħen Is-Sewwa

Government of Malta 2015

 

Radio Stations
Bay Radio (89.7)	Smash Radio (104.6 FM)
Radio 101 (101 FM)	Campus FM (103.7 FM)
Radio Malta (93.7 FM and 999 MW)	106.6 FM
One Radio (92.7 FM)	Magic Malta (91.7 FM)
RTK Radio (103 FM)	Vibe (FM 88.7)

Government of Malta 2015

 

TV Stations
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)	Smash TV (news entertainment)
TVM / TVM 2 (national broadcaster)	F Living (entertainment)
Net TV (Partit Nazzjonalista / Nationalist Party)	Xejk TV (music channel)
One  (Partit Laburista / Labour Party)

Government of Malta 2015

Electronic Media
TVM News	Maltamedia
Inews	Maltanow
Newsbook.com.mt	Maltarightnow.com
The Malta Independent	Maltastar.com
Timesofmalta.com	Maltatoday

Government of Malta 2015

Sources:

Government of Malta 2015. https://www.gov.mt/en/About%20Malta/Media%20and%20Press/Pages/Media-in-Malta.aspx

EU Eurobarometer 2015 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm

BBC News 2012. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1045691.stm

 

Does Malta use renewables?

• As a member of the European Union (EU), Malta has agreed on legally binding national targets for increasing the share of renewable energy by 2020. Specifically, Malta has committed to a renewable energy share target of 10%.
• Despite the long hours of sunshine and the windy climate, in 2014, renewable energy production accounted for only 3.4% of Malta´s total electricity energy production (NSO, October 2015). The output of renewable energy in Malta grew at an average rate of 41.3 % per year between 2003 and 2013, although the absolute level of output remained by far the lowest in the EU-28. Over this same period, annual increases averaging in excess of 10.0% were recorded for Belgium, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg; increases of below 3.0 % were recorded in Portugal, Finland and Latvia.
• The bulk of renewable energy in Malta in 2014 was produced from photovoltaic cells (91.3%). Over half of the photovoltaic capacity is generated by cells installed on domestic roof spaces. In addition to offering grants for the installation of cells, the government of Malta also offers favourable feed-in tariffs to encourage the generation of renewable energy.

Sources:

National Statistics Office (October 2015). Retrieved June 3, 2016 https://nso.gov.mt/en/News_Releases/View_by_Unit/Unit_B3/Environment_Energy_Transport_and_Agriculture_Statistics/Documents/2015/News2015_185.pdf

Europa, Renewable energy statistics, 15/02/2016, at http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Renewable_energy_statistics  and https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/renewable-energy/national-action-plans

• The main form of transportation within Malta is road transportation.  There is no rail network on the Maltese Islands.  Cross-harbour ferry links operate within the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour, to the south and north of Valletta, respectively; however, these services are relatively limited and they are predominantly used by tourists. 
• Inter-island travel is exclusively water-based.  A regular ferry service (Gozo Channel Company Ltd) connects the islands of Malta and Gozo, and there are frequent ferry services to / from Comino from Malta and Gozo.
• The primary mode of transportation in Malta is the private motor vehicle.  Malta has one of the highest ‘motorisation rates’ (passenger cars per 1000 inhabitants) in the European Union (EU-28).  In a 2013 Eurostat survey, Malta had the fourth highest motorisation rate (after Luxembourg, Italy and Lithuania).  In 2010, the private motor car accounted for 74% in the transport model split (Transport Malta, 2016).  

Transport Modal Split 2010 (%)
Private motor car	74
Public bus	11
Walking	8
Mini-bus / coach	4
Motorcycle	1
Other (including boat and bicycle)	2

 

Sources:

Eurostat 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2016, from http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Passenger_cars_in_the_EU

Special Eurobarometer 406, Attitudes of Europeans towards Urban Mobility, December 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2016, from http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_406_en.pdf  

 

Is there good public transport in Malta?   

• Public transport in Malta is available primarily by means of route buses, which operate across the Maltese Islands.  A public ferry service links the islands of Malta and Gozo, and there are cross-harbour ferry services linking Sliema with Valletta and Valetta with the three cities (Cottonera).  Taxis are readily available in Malta. 
• The Maltese route bus service was significantly restructured between 2012 and 2015, which involved the replacement of the entire bus fleet, and the revision of routes and the fare and ticketing systems.  There is now a modern fleet of air-conditioned, accessible buses, including night time services, and an intelligent ticketing option available to residents and visitors. 
• More than half the Maltese population have a personalised bus card (Talinja card), where the cost of a single journey (can be used to get to any destination within two hours, including interchanges) is 75c.  Single journey cash bus tickets cost €1.50 in Winter and €2.00 in Summer (mid-June and mid-October).  Night journey cash tickets are €3.00.

Sources:

Public Transport Malta. Retrieved June 13, 2016, from https://www.publictransport.com.mt/en/bus-card-and-ticketing

 

Is Malta bicycle friendly?

•  In a special Eurobarometer survey in 2013, Malta had the lowest results in the European Union (EU-28) in respect of the number of people that had ever cycled (93%). This compared with only 13% in the Netherlands and 18% in Denmark.  In the same survey, only 1% of the Maltese responded that they cycled daily. 
• Travelling by bicycle in Malta is becoming ever-more popular, especially with foreigners, but also with the Maltese who have traditionally eschewed this mode of travel. 
• Despite distances, terrain and a climate which are very favourable for cyclists, cycle infrastructure is relatively undeveloped in Malta.  There is a very limited network of cycle lanes but there is increasing provision of bicycle parking facilities.
• The recently published Draft National Transport Strategy 2050 seeks to encourage modal shift, including through promoting travel by bicycle, and the potential for having a ‘citi-bike’ scheme in Malta is under consideration. 

Sources:

European Commission 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2016, from http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_406_en.pdf

Transport Malta. Retrieved June 29, 2016, from http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transport/the-land-transport-directorate and http://www.transport.gov.mt/transport-strategies/national-transport

 

How do the Maltese drive?

• The Maltese drive on the left side of the road, which is a legacy of British rule, and much of the roads infrastructure is recognisably British; roundabouts are common in Malta, for example.  However, like in the rest of Europe, speed limits in Malta are expressed in kilometres per hour (km/h) rather than in miles per hour (mph). 
• The maximum speed limit in Malta is 50km/h (31mph) in urban areas and 80km/h (49mph) on the main (arterial) routes and generally outside of urban areas, although different speed limits operate in different areas.  Speed limits are generally well advertised (road signage) and speed cameras are common on the main routes. 
• Seat belts are compulsory for everyone travelling in a motor vehicle in Malta, with the exception of a public service route bus. 
•  Driving in Malta is regulated by the Malta Highway Code; nevertheless, Maltese drivers apply certain flexibility in adhering to the rules of the road!  Minor traffic accidents are a common occurrence, but fatalities are relatively low by global standards.  In the WHO Global status report on road safety, 2015, the fatality rate per 100,000 population in Malta in 2013 was estimated as 5.1.  Malta had the 10^th lowest fatality rate per 100,000 population compared with other European Union (EU-28) Member States; Sweden (2.8) and the United Kingdom (2.9) had the lowest fatality rates per 100,000 population.
• In the last quarter of 2015, the number of reported traffic accidents in Malta was 3,727; however, only 429 traffic casualties were reported (NSO, January 2016).  There were no driver or passenger fatalities in Malta in 2014 and 2015.  There were three pedestrian fatalities on Maltese roads in 2015 and two pedestrian fatalities in 2014 (NSO, January 2016).

Sources:

Transport Malta. Retrieved June 11, 2016, from http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transport/driving

World health Organisation, 2016. http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2015/en/

National Statistics Office. Valletta. https://nso.gov.mt/en/News_Releases/View_by_Unit/Unit_B3/Environment_Energy_Transport_and_Agriculture_Statistics/Documents/2016/News2016_016.pdf

Malta.com. Retrieved June 11, 2016, from http://www.malta.com/en/holidays/driving-in-malta  

 

How Do You Get a License to Drive in Malta?

• Holders of valid driving licences issued in a European Union (EU) Member State can drive in Malta without the need to obtain any additional license or permits.  Such persons can also exchange their EU driving licence for a Maltese driving licence after at least 185 days normal residency in Malta.  Driving licences issued in Switzerland and Australia can also be exchanged for a Maltese driving licence. 
• Holders of valid driving licences issued in non-EU Member States can drive in Malta for up to one year, after which they must obtain a Maltese driving licence.
• Maltese driving licences are valid in all European Union (EU) Member States, as well as in all countries party to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic.

​Sources:

Transport Malta. Retrieved June 11, 2016, from http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transport/driving

• A non-resident may keep a foreign registered vehicle in Malta for up to seven months in a 12-month period.  Any vehicle being driven in Malta beyond that period must be registered and licensed with Transport Malta.  
• The vehicle must also be insured, and must be tested regularly for roadworthiness in an approved testing station (Vehicle Roadworthiness Test – VRT). It must have registration plates affixed to the front and back of the vehicle, and a valid road licence affixed to the left side of the front windscreen.
• The road license fee is paid annually. 

Annual Motor Vehicle License Fee – Euro (2016)
	0 – 6 years	7 years	10 years	15 years
Petrol Engines
1300cc and less	90	101	104	114
1449cc - 1500cc	135	151	161	188
2000cc and over	395	447	466	500
Diesel Engines
1300cc and less	98	109	113	121
1449cc - 1500cc	147	164	175	196
2000cc and over	432	489	510	548

 

Sources:

Transport Malta. Retrieved June 11, 2016, from http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transport/vehicle-registration-and-licensing/registering-and-licensing-a-motor-vehicle/individual and  http://www.transport.gov.mt/admin/uploads/media-library/files/POL%2033.pdf_20150109135518.pdf

 

• Air connections to / from Malta are relatively very good for a small state. 
• Air Malta is the national airline of the Maltese islands.  Established in 1974, Air Malta currently operates services to 35 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.  The airline has a number of airline partners: Aeroflot, Air France, Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa, Meridiana fly, Swiss International Air Lines, and Turkish Airlines.  Air Malta is a member of the Association of European Airlines (AEA).
• In addition to Air Malta, there are currently 29 airlines flying to / from Malta.  The top destinations, in terms of aircraft movements in May 2016 (Malta International Airport), were to / from destinations within Europe, specifically, the UK (London Gatwick, London Heathrow and Manchester) and Italy (Rome and Catania).  However, North Africa (Libya and Tunisia) and Turkey (Istanbul) also featured in the top 10 aircraft movements in May 2016.

Airlines Flying to Malta
Aegean	Finnair	Scandinavian Airlines
Air Baltic	Iberia Express	Swiss Airlines
Air Berlin	Jet2.com	Thomas Cook
Air Malta	Jettime	Thomson
Air Serbia	Libyan Airlines	Transavia
Alitalia	Luthansa	Tunisair
British Airways	Luxair	Turkish Airlines
Czech Airlines	Norweigan.com	Volotea
Easyjet	Niki	Vueling
Emirates	Ryanair	Wizz

Source: Malta International Airport

 

 

Top 10 Aircraft Movements – Countries (May 2016)
UK	792
Italy	716
Germany	390
France	274
Libya	154
Tunisia	130
Turkey	126
Switzerland	126
Spain (and Canary Is.)	102
Austria	95

Source: Malta International Airport

Top 10 Aircraft Movements – Cities (May 2016)
London (Gatwick)	215
Rome (Fiumicino)	210
Catania (Fontanarossa Sicily)	140
Frankfurt	139
Manchester	131
London (Heathrow)	127
Istanbul (Ataturk)	123
Paris (Orly)	126
Tunis (Carthage)	102
Munich (Franz Josef Strauss)	95

Source: Malta International Airport

Sources:

Air Malta. Retrieved June 11, 2016, from http://www.airmalta.com/information/about/about-air-malta

Malta International Airport. Retrieved June 3, 2016 from https://www.maltairport.com/passenger/flights-landing/airlines/ and https://www.maltairport.com/3665-2/  and https://www.maltairport.com/corporate/traffic-development/statistics/