Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Malta
Malta: Public sector employment as a share of total employment was 28.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Malta, 2007–2020
Source: World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malta recorded 28.6% for public sector employment as a share of total employment in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.8% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public sector employment as a share of total employment in Malta peaked at 32.4% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 24.7%, in 2008.
That places Malta 12th out of 79 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Malta, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 30.8% | — |
| 2008 | 24.7% | -19.8% |
| 2009 | 25.4% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 25.6% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 32.4% | +26.7% |
| 2012 | 27.7% | -14.4% |
| 2013 | 26.9% | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 28.6% | +6.2% |
| 2015 | 29.5% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 29.0% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 30.0% | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 29.3% | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 29.4% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 28.6% | -2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 27.0% | 24.7% | 30.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 28.8% | 25.6% | 32.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.6% | 28.6% | 28.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malta
- 9 Ireland 29.3% compare
- 10 France 28.9% compare
- 11 United Kingdom 28.9% compare
- 13 Finland 27.8% compare
- 14 Switzerland 27.5% compare
- 15 Bosnia and Herzegovina 27.4% compare
More work & labour data for Malta
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.8118 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7863 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.8415 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.79 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.2041 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 404.95 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 14.3 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 168.51 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 191.42 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 359.93 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is public sector employment as a share of total employment in Malta?
- Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Malta was 28.6% in 2020, according to World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest public sector employment as a share of total employment recorded in Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 32.4% in 2011.
- What is the lowest public sector employment as a share of total employment recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.7% in 2008.
- How does Malta rank for public sector employment as a share of total employment?
- Malta ranks 12th out of 79 countries with data for 2020.
- Is public sector employment as a share of total employment rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malta data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Public sector employment as a share of total employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of all employed people who are paid employees of the public sector, including government, the armed forces, public services, and state-owned enterprises.