Malta is the highest climber in the 2025 edition of the Greenfield FDI Performance Index, jumping 50 places from last year to rank 33rd overall.

Bernice Buttigieg, Chief Strategy Officer at FinanceMalta, described the achievement as “very positive news for Malta”.

“This leap in the FDI Performance Index reflects Malta’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment aligned with global investment trends. Our focus on fintech, sustainable finance, and digital innovation is positioning Malta as a competitive player on the international stage.”

Most FDI projects into Malta cited the ability to serve the EU market as a key driver, figures from greenfield investment monitor fDi Markets show. 

Dr Buttigieg also reiterated this commitment when she recently addressed the Financial Centre Futures Webclave, hosted by Z/YEN and the China Development Institute where she noted how Malta continued to actively address its structural challenges, particularly in skills and reputation, to strengthen its position as an EU financial hub.

“The pace of regulatory and technological change is outstripping the traditional talent pipeline. Our focus now is on aligning education, industry needs, and migration policy to ensure long-term resilience for this sector,” she said.

These factors have boosted investor confidence, with companies like Turkish industrial firm Gimas, which recently announced a $7.5 million subsidiary in Malta to produce wind turbine components, marking an expansion of the country’s industrial base.

The improvement reflects Malta’s strategic advantages, namely its central EU location, a stronger regulatory framework, and a renewed commitment to innovation.

Malta was one of several smaller nations to climb the ranking. El Salvador, Iceland, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Laos and Namibia are also among the biggest improvers.