Malta ranks 16th in the world for median wealth per adult. According to data from the IMF and the UBS Wealth Report, as visualised by the Visual Capitalist, the median wealth for an adult in Malta stands at $120,875.

Malta ranks among the wealthiest nations on Earth.

While that may come as a surprise to many Maltese, the country ranks 16th in the world on a key indicator captured by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Swiss bank UBS.

The median level of wealth in Malta compares very well to those of most other countries, with a graphic compiled by Facebook Page Visual Capitalist clearly putting the country between the United States and Taiwan.

The figure cited as Malta’s median wealth – $120,875 (approximately €112,414) – places it ahead of many major developed economies, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and New Zealand.

However, it still trails the leading nations by a significant margin. The top spots are held by Luxembourg ($395,340), Australia ($268,424), Belgium ($253,539), and Hong Kong SAR ($222,015).

Overall, the structure of wealth in Malta remains dominated by real assets, particularly the main residence, which is the largest component of net wealth for most households. It comes to no surprise then that the value of Malta’s dwellings has shot up from €30 billion to a staggering €88 billion in the span of a decade, in large part due to speculation and land scarcity.

Malta’s homeownership rate is one of the highest in the world, at around 75 per cent, according to the last Census in 2021, which contributes to Malta’s high median wealth score. Significantly, the home ownership rate rises to 85 per cent among the Maltese themselves., which contributes to Malta’s high median wealth score.

While Malta excels in median wealth, it did not feature in the top rankings for GDP per capita or GNI per capita in the same study.

This indicates that while the country’s economic output and income may be more moderate on a per-person basis, the existing wealth is more evenly distributed among its adult population compared to many wealthier-but-less-equal nations.

The distinction between these measures is important. GDP per capita reflects the total economic output of a country divided by its population, offering a view of economic activity within borders. In contrast, GNI per capita focuses on the total income received by residents, regardless of where that income is generated.

Median wealth, however, provides a different perspective, it represents the midpoint of all individual net worth values in the population, offering a more accurate picture of typical prosperity than averages, which can be skewed by extreme wealth at the top.